Deadwood Covenant
by Tavvy13
Summary: "This life chose me. I was born into it, whether I like it or not. And it's not pretty, believe me; it consumes you without so much as a god damn warning. Chews you up and spits back out monsters you pray you never have the shit luck of meeting. And there will never be an option of turning back..no redo, no second chance. You wanna know why?...I enjoy it too much." AU/GANG violence
1. Prologue: Covenant Sealed

**A/N: ****Completely AU. Basically all that remains is their names, faces, and a few personality traits, but other than that…Content and subject matter not suitable for younger audiences. Rated M for mature suggestive themes of gangs, drugs, violence, and death. May also include as well as harsh language. PLEASE DO NOT READ IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CANNOT BE MATURE ABOUT THE CONTENT. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION BEFORE YOU CONTINUE ON YOUR OWN ACCORD. VIEWER DISCRETION IS STRONGLY ADVISED******

** Here's my newest story. So since I love "Sons of Anarchy" (a biker TV show) as well as the character faces from Austin & Ally. It's inspired and heavily influenced by SOA, so some of my characters and aspects reflect the show's. So anything familiar, I give full credit to the amazing show.**

** Also, the main locations of this story are towns I made up that are supposed to be located outside of Miami. I'm not sure if their real or not, so if they are, it's a coincidence. I don't know much, so most of the info for the area is from my own imagination, even if it isn't geographically correct. **

**Anyway, this one is my favourite concepts I've ever come up with, and it as has some of the coolest characters. It's super risky, so please, please let me know what you think. **

**Enjoy & Review!**

**P.S. This prologue involves Austin's grandfather and how and why he created his biker club, Deadwood Covenant. Don't let it throw you off from the story, thinking there is no Austin or Ally or anything of the usual. This is just really important to understand the rest of the story, as all prologues are meant to do.**

**-B**

_Bay Beach, FL. Outside of Miami._

_May of 1951_

The heavy May rain was coming down in sheets while Atticus Moon stood in the dimly-lit backroom of McCormick Motors. Almost midnight, the sky was dark and cloudy, opening up like Hell was about to inhabit the Earth. Atticus casually thought to himself about how the pathetic fallacy of the weather was amusingly accurate when compared with the events that had occurred recently. He expected as much, since what was going on and what was threatening to happen was begging to be laced with dramatics. With his calloused hands tucked away in his pockets and a slight rock in his stance, he gazed out the grimy window through the blinds, over at the yard and waiting for the rest of the men to make their way in for the meeting. He noticed his hot breath, threatening to become uneven, quickly began to fog up the cool window before him slightly. He then inhaled deeply and mentally convinced himself to calm down.

Tonight was not the night to let everything fall out of his hands. Too much was at risk, this he knew as much, but everything was going to fly to Hell in a hand basket if he didn't take action quick. He dragged his sweaty palms through his damp shaggy blonde hair and tugged on the ends. He glanced up at the ceiling and reviewed again how he was going to approach this situation. From the corner of his eye, Atticus spotted Charlie sprinting across the muddy yard from his office in the car garage, trying to shield himself with his arms from the onslaught of rain still coming down. As he observed Charlie enter the clubhouse with a pair of newly arrived men, he also noticed the last of the boys riding in finally. Not long now…

Atticus took a seat at the head of the table with a sigh and took a sip of his cheap beer. He knew that what he was about to do was going to call his loyalties and friendships into question; put them to the ultimate test. But it wasn't like he had a choice. If he didn't make a decision or come up with a proposition soon, everything he has ever really know would fall apart and crumble at his feet in a matter of seconds. And he wasn't going to risk that. So this had to be the only way.

In the distance, a door slammed shut and a swarm of familiar voices were heard. He could then hear the creaking of the old floors as their heavy footfalls grew closer to the large backroom he was currently occupying. Standing straight with a last swipe of his hands on his pants, the two large doors on his right swung open and in entered Charlie with the rest of their friends trailing along behind him.

Standing at a good six feet and lanky as always, Charlie McCormick strode in with a reassuring smile in his direction and took a seat at Atticus' right without a word. He was 20 years of age, like Atticus himself, but still looked like the little boy Atticus first met all those years ago. As Charlie pulled out a greasy rag from his equally greasy overalls to attempt at drying his ginger locks, Atticus took into account the rest of his friends who were filling up the room, talking amongst themselves. He counted four.

He then cleared his throat. "Evenin', boys. Glad you all made it in one piece," he spoke.

Each took a seat casually around the large wooden rectangle table in the dark room, positively drenched, but began to settle in. The man sitting closest to Atticus other than Charlie was Bobby 'Bubba' Smith. Short, round, and decked out in damp leather like the rest of them, he made a loud grunt as he dropped in his seat. Bubba's shoulder length hair hung like straw around his large face that reminded Atticus of a wet dog.

"Yeah, well, seems like Mother Nature wanted to give us another definition of what a shit storm should look like." He grunted again while he readjusted his seat and flicked his hands to rid them of the last remnants of rain still on his skin. "Like we don't already know…"

"Yeah, Attie. Good thing you called this as soon as possible. Another 24 hours and the rest of the boys over in Rose Hill are gunna burn that place to the ground." Bucky Brookes said from the other end of the table. Atticus looked over at his friend. Bucky was leaning over in his seat with his leather-gloved hands folded in front of him. His curly brown hair hung in his green eyes that peered seriously over at Atticus.

"I know", Atticus sighed. "But there's not much that can be done to control a group of crazy young men who don't have someone to set them straight."

"Who would have thought that dickhead Rufus' death could result into this." Jordan Mathers spoke up from his place beside Charlie, who was now quietly listening.

"Aye, the man was a cruel prick but don't disrespect what he did for ya, yeah?" The thick Irish-accent of Talon Erickson suddenly filled the room with its usual dominating quality, silencing Jordan. An immigrant, Talon had next to no money when he came over seas as a young kid during the depression. Orphaned, he lived with his Aunt until he got taken into the 'business'. In other words, at 22, the guy has seen his fair share of misery and turned it into cold hard stone.

Just like the rest of them.

Atticus took what Talon said and let it sink. Rufus _did_ do a lot for them, more than any of them could have really asked for when they were recruited in as prospects; kind of like pledges to a fraternity house but with a hundred times the danger. _Hell's Fury_ Biker Club was the only sanctuary they had offered to them as troubled young boys who had nothing going for them and that was all because Rufus saw something in them that he could use.

Atticus thought back to the time when Rufus found him fighting three grown men in a back alley on Main Street, tossing them around in a fit of rage like it was nothing. He took him in and offered him a world that was, yes dangerous, but surely nothing he couldn't handle and also be rewarded by. At the time, Atticus never realized what he got himself into but even though Rufus treated his men cruelly and ruthlessly, including all of the men before Atticus now, he still gave them the one thing all of them had lost; a family. And that's something none of them could have ever thanked him enough for.

Atticus was snapped back to reality when Charlie finally spoke up. "Tell that to all of his enemies, if you're in the mood to justify. Seems to me like it finally caught up with the asshole and because of that, we all have to pay for it."

"Tell me about it. With the Fury Presidency up for grabs, everyone's at each other's throats." Bobby huffed. He then looked over at Atticus. "So what you got, slick? What's your proposition? Since you and Val were Rufus's right hand men, hopefully you got something good up that sleeve of yours…"

Atticus rubbed the side of his face along his jaw, his fingers pricked by his whiskers, as he started to collect his thoughts accordingly. Then, something clicked and he looked at all of them.

His body straightened instantly. "Hey, where is Val? He should have been here by n-"

Suddenly before any of them could register, the large doors slammed open and in swaggered Valentine—Val for short—Di Santis.

"Speak of ye devil…" Talon said jokingly under his breath. He had a wry grin on his face. "You're late." He then said louder.

Valentine Di Santis was a tall brooding man, with jet black hair and piercing blue eyes that could probably slice you in half if you dared to look long enough. His mouth constantly held a sneer upon it, full of smug confidence. Dripping from the constant downpour outside, his all black clothing clung to him as the smell of wet leather filled the room even more than it already had permeated from all the others.

Peeling his wet bike gloves off, finger by finger, Valentine let his gaze drop around the room to the men occupying it. He had known them all for as long as he cared to remember but never really took care for their friendship. In this business, he felt it was dog-eat-dog and having attachments to associates and members was just a way to show weakness. He knew that to succeed properly, he had to be cold. That's what Rufus taught him at least, and it worked to get him to where he was—how they all did—at such a young age and status in the club.

"I'm not late." He snapped. "Besides, I had other business to attend to. The whole club is going to shit as we speak, if you haven't noticed." As he took in all of their appearances, each entertaining a different look on their face, he came to rest on the one of Charlie.

He grinned devilishly with a rude chuckle. "Hey there, Shirley Temple. You think you got enough grease on you?"

Charlie gave him a pissed off look but didn't acknowledge his comment. He was the kind of guy that could handle himself but didn't like confrontation if it could be avoided. Charlie ran McCormick Motors, whose grounds they currently were on, and is one of the best mechanics in all of Deadwood County. Due to that, he practically lives under cars and bikes and tends to become a little greasy now and then. His skills were part of the reason Rufus recruited him into _Hell's Fury._ That and that he's extremely loyal. But Val hated that quality because it meant that Charlie was just that much more attached and dedicated to Atticus and the justice of the club. Their bond was something that always infuriated him, partly because he could never really understand it. Two young men, who aren't even blood, and act like they were even more.

Val heard a deep throaty sound coming from the left of him. He cocked his head and saw Atticus giving him a dirty look.

"That's enough, Val. Leave Charlie alone. You've wasted enough time." He noticed him unclench his fists and let them rest on the table, palms fully down. He could still see his dark anger—his secret weapon—bubble in the recesses of his irises. "Now, if you don't mind, let's get down to what we came here for, alright?"

Atticus watched as Val clenched his teeth and gave him a deadly stare for longer than necessary, but eventually made his way to sit in the last empty seat beside Jordan.

Atticus took a deep breath as a deep roll of thunder was heard from outside. "Perfect." He murmured as his anger for Val's carelessness subsided. He then stood up and began to address his friends and important club members with a serious persona.

"Let's get right to it, shall we?" He cleared his throat. "So as the club's best and trusted men, I called this meeting so we can deal with the current events and come up with a solution together. As of almost 48 hours now, our recent president for _Hell's Fury_ and common acquaintance, Rufus King, has been killed by one of his many enemies. It was mostly likely the cartel, if we have to point a finger. They never liked the games Rufus played with him during shipment orders and sooner or later, they would stop being so nice about it."

"Looks like sooner came sooner than we thought…_good riddance_." Bobby muttered under his breath.

Atticus ignored the comment and continued. "Now, obviously nobody anticipated all this shit blowing up in our faces and the whole club spiraling out of control." Atticus heard Val make a haughty noise and saw Talon pin him with a 'shut-the-hell-up' look. "We all thought that Rufus had at least had some of the loyalties of the club but I guess that isn't the case here."

Bucky snorted. "Sure, expect loyalty from men who he smacked around like pathetic little rag dolls, used them for his own gain, all while never getting his hands truly dirty. _We,_" he gestured to the men sitting at the table, "we did all the hard crap for the guy." This struck a nerve in Bucky, who began to go on a tangent. "Yeah, we all benefitted in different ways eventually, but on our _own_ terms." He vigorously poked at his chest to prove it further. "You can't keep kicking the dog and expect it never to bite you!" His voice was brought down an octave as he spoke again. "Besides, his downfall would have never been the club or us men. His ego was too big to even clear his tracks or watch his back, and look what happened." he sat back in his seat with a thump.

Jordan looked at him and nodded in agreement. "His dying just shows how much everyone in the club hated him, but was too scared of the repercussions to do anything about it. Anyone who questioned him wound up dead. But I guess that threat never bothered his enemies." Jordan stated from his seat.

Val clicked his teeth at the members surrounding the table. "Listen to the lot of you. You hated him because you never could gain his respect. You weren't worth his time." He put his hands out in surrender and shrugged his shoulders. "If you ask me, I learned everything useful about myself from him, and improved on it. That's why the club has more loyalties to me than he ever had."

Val was getting on Atticus' last nerve. He always did and it made his blood pressure spike every time Val acted like no one in the club was worth the title of his 'brother' but only of his 'lackey'. He needed someone who knew him well enough to put him under their thumb long enough for him to wake up to reality and see that their whole lifestyle can't be lived by someone with a superiority complex. Atticus knew then and was reassured, that his next move was the right one.

Bobby, whose stringy hair was beginning to dry and curl, looked at Valentine like he was crazy. "Give me a break, Val. If anything, the club is most loyal to Attie here. Why do you think Rufus preferred him to you, huh?" He questioned. "Because he knew how to gain respect _and _trust."

Val's face darkened quickly and immensely. Being second to Atticus in his eyes was worse than death. He saw Atticus as a soft, easily weakened, wimp of a man who was too focused on his little bromances and the 'law of the club' than getting shit done. And even when he did, it was only because he has some anger issues. Why Rufus held him in the same esteem as Val baffled and disgusted him. Valentine was _nothing_ like Atticus.

"Rufus preferred a lot of things that reminded him of a woman." He growled the harsh comment towards both Bobby and Atticus.

Attie saw red. "Enough!" Atticus roared and instantly, got silence as an answer as he shot out of his chair and shot daggers from his stare at Val. "The only reason I'm not kicking your sorry ass off of Charlie's lot is because as much as I hate to admit it, you have as much right to be here as the rest of us. But I'm only gunna warn you _once_; interrupt me one more time and you'll be spitting blood." Atticus' voice was low and deadly, not to mention, promising. The men at the table were stunned and silent as the tension between Val and Atticus seared the air around them.

Val was silent for a long time but when he finally spoke, his voice was very chilly and slow. "Whatever, sport. Hurry this shit up, I've got other things to take care of."

He let out a loud sigh once more and quickly sent Val another warning with his eyes before he began again, this time with less patience. "Everything that's being said can be interpreted differently but I think now is the right time to finally tell you guys what I really called this meeting for."

"G'on, Attie." Talon supported and nodded in his direction.

"I have known you all for the most important parts of my life so far and hold you guys in the highest regards." _With the exception of Val,_ Atticus thought. "So when I say that the brotherhood created in _Hell's Fury_ isn't the way it should be, I hope you all understand what I mean. And that our alliances in the business don't have proper respect for us." He looked at each of them in the eyes and continued when no one moved to say anything. "I'm putting forth a proposition for you. After Rufus' death, it made me realize how dysfunctional the club is and how it needs to be fixed. Set straight. So what I'm saying is, I'm leaving—"

All of the men gasped and began to shoot accusing questions at him, except for Val who shot out of his chair with a weird look on his face.

"_What?!_"Charlie gasped. "Are you insane, At?! The whole reason why the club has stayed true to its basics and its positions in our business agreements is because of you!"

"Let me finish!" Atticus bellowed at him. They all calmed a bit but still were confused.

"I was saying. I'm _leaving_…because I'm creating a new club_._ And my proposition is, if you come with me, and any of the club who are truly loyal to me and my beliefs, we can start again but this time, do it the way it should be done."

Jordan looked at Atticus suspiciously. Val was weirdly very quiet. "Why not just declare presidency rights of _Hell's Fury_? Why go through the whole risky process of creating a whole other club?"

Atticus expected as such. "Because I don't want to force a presidency on the club, especially in a time like this when everyone wants something different. But more importantly, because it seemed about time for me to do this. _Hell's Fury_ has been too tainted with the reputation Rufus has given it. I want members to want to _choose_ to join my club because they believe my presidency will be fair and just." He looked them all over as they let the proposal sink in. "I've already spoken to suppliers and most of our alliances. They've agreed to follow me if I break off. Their confident that this will succeed as well."

And with that, Atticus let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. His palms were kind of clammy and the back of his neck was perspiring but he couldn't blame his body for reacting in such foreign ways. This proposition could make or break the _entire _outcome of his life. He watched as everything he just said sank into their minds and played on their features. From what he saw, he felt that his friendships were stronger that he anticipated and seemed that he took a worthy risk.

He smiled to himself, until he saw Valentine.

Val was staring directly at Atticus with a look of hatred mixed with sick amusement. Still standing out of his seat, a slight smile grazed his face for a brief second as he 'hmphed' and crossed his arms across his chest. They stared at each for what felt like eternity, until Val broke the silence.

"Well, _Attie_," he mocked. "I gotta hand it to you. Looks like we're not as different as we both hoped."

Atticus was confused. "What are you talking about, Val?" Charlie quipped.

"What I'm talking about is that it seems me and good old Atticus here have both had the same idea in mind." He then looked at Atticus with a smirk etched on his face. "But it's much better than I would have thought. With him willingly stepping away, there's no need to battle it out for presidency rights of Fury." He laughed to himself.

"Why do you think I was late? I was at the club, voicing my same idea and offering my stance as president to those who wanted it so. Like I said, I have many loyalties. The ones that I didn't…well looks like they have a new club now. Saves me from having to smoke out the rats inhumanely." He looked at the men around the table and saw the same shock register in their faces that they had when Atticus voiced his same idea. "Really, Atticus. You made it too easy! But I can't thank you enough. You don't realize how amazing it is to be rid of you and your self-righteous shadow that I've lived in since we were _prospects_!" He declared, raising his voice. "I mean _come on_, Atticus. Use your thick head!" He threw his arms in the air, exasperated. "Did you really think there was a chance in _hell_ that I was in _any_ way going to let you step up and have power over me? Face it; I'm always one step ahead!"

Then there was an eerie silence and the breathing in the room became extremely heavy. Each and every single young man had the same ideas running through their minds, but not all of them were on the same page. They were all in sporadic positions in the room, the events of the meeting stirring them completely. Who was sitting, who was standing or even pacing. But Atticus and Valentine didn't move from their standing position on either end of the long table, like two gun slingers itching to take the first shot. Val kept his haughty stance and took deep breaths while Atticus gripped the edge of the table in an iron grip and clenched his jaw.

He knew he had to be rid of Valentine and his selfish ways some way but he never expected him to take Fury for himself and challenge him. In all honestly, he thought maybe in time, Val might just see that the way he is, isn't the right way to be in a brotherhood; a family. That maybe, Val might come to see that Atticus' loyalty and trust in his brothers is what makes him stronger.

But you can't change a person. Not really.

"So be it." Atticus finally whispered. He said it so low and deadly that the people in the room barely heard it. "If this is what you want and how you feel, so be it." He was completely serious.

"Believe me. It is." Val seethed.

"Since it looks like the club is officially divided, the only ones left undecided is you." Atticus spoke in general, as he gestured to his shocked friends around the table without letting his eyes wander from Valentine's for even a moment.

"Let's put it to a vote." Charlie said from his calculated position in his seat.

Atticus nodded in agreement. "Alright. All those in favour to come together and start fresh in a new club, under my presidency, say 'yay'. Those who oppose, say 'nay.'"

Atticus started clockwise around the table and looked at Bobby to begin. At first, it seemed that Bobby might say 'nay', but then he smiled and said, "yay."

"Thank you, Bubba." Atticus returned his smile and moved on to Talon.

"Aye, Atticus. I will follow." He grinned. Attie simply returned it and nodded. Seated next to him, was the other head of the table where Val was, with a slightly hurt look hiding in the confines of his features. But Atticus didn't even give him a first glance—never mind a second one—to register it.

He looked at Jordan hopefully. He has been the most skeptical of all. "What do you say, Mathers?"

Jordan had a torn look on his face. Atticus truly couldn't predict what he was going to say just by looking at him. "Nay," Jordan spoke quietly, not looking Atticus in the eyes.

Everyone looked at him sadly, especially Atticus. "So be it," Atticus said for the third time that night. A member's vote was not to be questioned.

Val chuckled darkly. "Welcome to the ranks, Mathers. You made a good choice; don't worry."

Jordan just simply looked at Valentine and gave him a meek smile but it seemed forced. Not dwelling too much on Jordan's vote, Atticus looked at Bucky, hoping he wouldn't follow suit.

He grinned widely. "Hell to the 'yay', Attie! It's about time you took your rightful place."

"Thanks, Bucky. It means a lot." He smiled. Then he turned to Charlie. This was probably the one vote that Atticus was sweating the most. Charlie McCormick was his best friend and knew him better than his own mother probably did. He couldn't tell if Charlie didn't agree or was upset that Atticus didn't run it by him first. By there was so little time to take action. He hoped Charlie didn't take it the wrong way. His face surely didn't tell him if he did or not.

"Charlie?" Atticus inquired.

Charlie looked up from the table that he was staring at tentatively for the last 5 minutes. He was always thinking before he made major decisions and this most definitely was one. But he didn't need to do much. This was Atticus; his best friend, his brother.

"Yay." Charlie said simply and offered Atticus a genuine smile. "We can even use my shop and this property to start the new clubhouse and grounds. 'Bout time it was all used properly for something," he added. Atticus let out a breath and returned the smile. Then he addressed everyone again.

"Thank you for your votes. I guess it's now settled. _Hell's Fury _Biker Club operating in the town of Rose Hill, is officially divided. As the previous president Rufus King is dead, and as his successor, one of his co-vices, Val Di Santis will take presidency, as chosen." Atticus paused for affect. "For the other portion of the club who feel differently about the late Rufus and Val's way of handling club business and outside business, I-Atticus Moon, second co-vice, will create a new Club that operates within this town of Bay Beach, therefore declaring presidency. All major affairs with the cartel and other alliances we have made will be handled with equally. In time, each Club will develop their alliance more specifically. Until then, those who are more loyal to whomever, are allowed to establish agreements without disagreements of unfairness. Agreed?"

A chorus of "yes'" were exchanged among the men.

Val didn't look too happy but nonetheless, kept his mouth shut.

"Good. Meeting adjourned." Atticus knocked a gavel twice. As soon as the knocks ran out, Val shot from his chair and gave them all a 'once-over' that said that they were worth no more than a bug under his boot.

"Ha. Don't think that this is settled and nothing will go wrong. Know this now, Atticus; as long as I'm around, there will _always_ be bad blood between Fury and what will be of your pathetic little excuse for a gang." Val was positively shaking with rage. And hate towards Atticus. "I will _never _stop until I see you and whatever you will work so hard to build in relation to this new club, fall. And fall _hard._"

Atticus moved from his seat at the opposite side of the table and slowly made his way to stand in front of Valentine. He then straightened his body and peered straight into his icy, heartless, blue eyes.

"I'd like to see you try." He whispered challengingly in a confident voice.

Val narrowed his eyes at Atticus and started to make his way out of the conference room. But as he reached the doors with Jordan silently trailing behind, he stopped and turned around one last time. "I can promise you this, Attie: it won't be anytime soon. No, you see, I think it's much more satisfying to wait until you have _so much_ more to lose, that when I stare into your eyes and take it from you, I can watch you die from the inside out." And with that promise hanging in the air, he turned and left into the rain that calmed down slightly since the beginning of the meeting.

Atticus didn't want to think about what Val had just said. It was too omniscient and frankly, a bit too convincing.

"Hey," Charlie said, coming up beside him suddenly. "Don't let Val's stupid empty threats bother you. He's going to be a problem, yes, but no shit we can't handle together. All of us." He turned Atticus and they both faced the rest of their friends.

"Yeah, mate. We're in this together. A brotherhood who rides together, thrives together." Talon made a corny joke that released some of the tension in the room as they all let out small laughs.

Atticus settled back into his seat as did the rest of them, as he stayed silent to soak in this new status and position, the rest of the men talked amongst them about their first steps to take. This was not going to be an easy task, starting a new club, but overall, Atticus was proud that he took this chance tonight and how the results turned out. He was glad that when his loyalties were tested and put on the scale, the ones that mattered most to him showed their true colours and stuck by him.

Val was going to be a problem, he knew it. He was going to have to be extra strong to deal with the second coming of Rufus himself. There has never been two Biker Club's in the same county, especially not this one, Deadwood County-where _Hell's Fury_ has existed solely by itself for years now without challenge or competition.

But all that's about to change.

"Hey, El Presidente." Bobby broke Atticus from his thoughts.

"Hmm?" Atticus was starting to feel the drain of energy now after his adrenaline has stopped pumping ever since Val left the room.

"We got a question," inquired Bobby.

"Yeah, what did you think of naming this new club? Please tell me it's something good, I'm only going to be a part of it for the rest of my life." Bobby joked. But it was still true. Joining a club was eternal. Once you're in, you never leave. Not until the day that you aren't able to ride anymore. Biker rules.

Atticus had given the club name a lot of thought. He didn't want something cliché like _Hell's Fury _but something that reflected their roots and their bond together as young men.

"Deadwood Covenant," he stated. "_Deadwood Covenant Biker Club_."


	2. Welcome to Bay Beach

**A/N: FIRST CHAPTER! This is now where present day begins and main characters are introduced. **

**Once again, I advise that you take precaution towards this story. It is very involved with content of gangs, drugs, violence and other things they may offend you. Please read on your own will. **

**But despite this, it is a great concept if you can handle the content and I hope you can enjoy it.**

**Mind you, I'm from Canada so I'm not familiar from the states very well so mistakes will probably be made.**

**REVIEW!**

**-B**

_Present Day._

Allyson Dawson is perpetually drowsy during long car rides. No need for strong sleep-inducing pills for trips such as these, her body was equipped with the power to do so naturally. She only just started to float back into consciousness when the light from the rising sun started to shine through her passenger seat window. It bothered her and she attempted to sleep just a little while longer but was getting nowhere with the sun fully streaming in at that point.

Rubbing her eyes lightly and letting out a good deep yawn, she stretched her arms as much as the front seat would allow without knocking her Dad in the face from his spot in the driver's seat.

"Mornin'. I'm glad you woke up out of your coma, I wasn't sure if you were going to surface this time around." Lester Dawson emitted a light laugh without glancing away from the road.

Ally just grumbled a 'good morning' back and went back into a comfortable ball-like position while clutching her warm pillow, but only to this time observe the view out the window.

They were closer now to their new home, she could tell by the palm trees that scattered the sides of the highway. This was way closer than she expected. She must've been under for longer than she thought since the last time she was awake briefly, they were passing through some state that was much closer to their home of Maine than their destination of Florida.

Ally was very intently watching the cloud patterns in the sky, just to past the time, when her attention was suddenly caught by a passing sign on the side of the road. It was large and blue, that read: 'Deadwood County'.

"Deadwood, how inviting." Ally sarcastically scoffed.

"Come on, Ally. Don't be so prickly." Lester chided. "You're already judging everything before we've even gotten there. Just give Bay Beach a chance; you might come to really like it."

She sighed. Ally couldn't see the possibility of this. She loved Maine to bits and was absolutely devastated when her father informed her they were moving for his job, to some backwoods town in the middle of Florida, miles and miles away from where she grew up.

She was upset, to say the least. Maine was everything she'd come to know and it was difficult to leave it behind. It wasn't so much because of the friendships she had because her and her father both knew well that she didn't have much of those. She just didn't really make friends easily since her personality was difficult to mesh with and in all honestly, she was a little unapproachable. But she liked it that way and enjoyed having a few acquaintances here and there to pass a little basic interaction. Other than that, what did she need? The typical high school persona just wasn't her scene. But now, she was going to have to do her senior year in a brand new school with a whole crowd of brand new people.

So, Maine itself was why it was hard to leave. Maybe it was because Ally grew up there.

Or maybe because it was the only frail attachment she had left to her mother.

Anna Dawson died giving birth to Ally eighteen years ago, leaving her daughter with no one other than her husband, Lester, a full time doctor at the time, that was barely ever home. Her death affected Ally's growth as a young girl and as a person. Even though Lester concentrated fully on raising his daughter to become a bright and strong young woman to the best of his abilities, there are just some things that only a mother can teach. Ally would never blame her father because it wasn't his fault. It was no one's really, it was just a tragic fact.

Never having any memories of a person who is suppose to be one of the most important people in your life, makes it hard to grow an attachment to them. Sure, Ally's dad spoke of Anna all the time and there were endless photos of her, but Ally never really felt that tether. She only felt truly connected to her when she was in her mother's favourite places, preferably at the local lighthouse where her and Lester got engaged and had so many other memories there. For some reason, it felt like Anna was always there and that Ally could always feel her presence like a warm embrace when she stood on its grounds.

And now, here she was, driving further and further away from that small shred of a relationship she was ever going to have with her.

Lester watched his daughter from the corner of his eye. He knew she was upset about leaving but there wasn't much he could do about it. His job at the hospital in town wasn't working out well and when he got the offer to work at Deadwood County General down in Florida, he took it right away, accepting the risks. In the long run, it was the best choice for him and Ally. Their little town in Maine was so full of memories, not all good, which felt like the two of them would never be able to live without ghosts hiding in their shadows. So a fresh start seemed like just what they needed.

Ally needed a change, he could see that. So when this opportunity showed itself, he'd be a fool to have said no.

He then spoke to her once more when he noticed something outside. "Als, look over there. We're crossing into Bay Beach now." He pointed over to a fancy looking stone wall with 'Bay Beach' written in scrawling metal print.

"…Joy." She muttered. "I just hope the moving truck got there early and unloaded my bed. I want to pass out until school starts."

Her father chuckled. "I should have guessed you'd say that. Don't worry, we're nearly there."

Ally observed the town as they began to reach the main strip, heading towards their new home. Apparently, her father purchased a nice bungalow five minutes away from the beach because he knew how much she loved the water. For that, she was grateful. That was probably one of the only good things about moving here.

From what Ally could see so far, Bay Beach seemed like your typical beach town. Filled with quaint shops and surf huts, the strip was busy with people shopping and just enjoying the nice weather. Ally couldn't deny that she was probably going to really enjoy it too, seeing as it's quite the radical difference to the weather up in Maine.

As they stopped at a red light, Ally rolled down her window and allowed the salty beach air to burn her nostrils and fill her lungs. It was crisp and refreshing after such a long ride in this stuffy car. With her eyes closed as she enjoyed the feeling of fresh oxygen replenishing her body, she suddenly heard the loud sound of choppy motorcycle motors, roaring together. The obnoxious _'put-put'_ noise caused her to open her eyes and glance at the source. From her window, Ally looked in awe at the four glossy and sleek bikes, two by two, she beheld in the next lane over. Decked out in different styles of colour and structure, each one stood out individually to her with their impressiveness. Only looking away when the glare the shiny paint was starting to give off, she finally took in their riders. She was intimidated immediately. The men sat astride these metal beasts were dominating in presence that she could practically feel the intensity coming off them like a tight grip.

Ally suddenly gulped nervously.

Completely draped in what all seemed to be various shades of black, they looked grungy and wild. As she dared to look a little closer, she noticed that the four of them looked all about the same age, probably the same as her father. But they were scary, to say the least. Caught up and not realizing she was gaping at them, one of the men on the bike closest to her snapped his head in her direction. She quickly looked away when his fierce gaze met hers, her face heating up immensely.

The light finally changed and she watched as the bikes roared back to life and sped away. They didn't get far enough though for Ally not to notice the large logo on the back of all their thick leather vests. From where she was sitting in the car, she seemed to make out a creepy looking depiction of the grim reaper encased in a large circle with writing laced along it. It was too small a font from that distance for her to come up with anything. But what caught her attention more was the writing that she _could_ read. In bright red letters, '_Deadwood Covenant_' was framed on either pole of the symbol of the creepy reaper.

She definitely wasn't in Maine anymore.

"Didn't see many bikers up north, did we? I just hope there's not that many more where they came from. Those motors are real ear-bleeders." Her father complained.

Ally nodded her head, still seeing those red letters flash in the back of her mind. "Agreed. But their most likely just passing through, dad…"

"Yeah, you're probably right." Ten minutes from the strip, he then pulled down a side street into a quieter neighbourhood.

He broke their silence once more. "There it is, Ally." He whispered as he pointed ahead in the distance. "Our new home."

Ally looked up and saw her new home. Sat on top of a small hill, their bungalow sat overlooking the beach in the distance. Despite the large Rent-A-Truck sitting out front, she could tell it wasn't a large home but bigger than what two people would need to live comfortably. The large grey shingled roof looked in good enough shape and the whole front was panelled in a soft sky blue aluminium that surprisingly wasn't as tacky as she would have thought. It had a long dark cobblestone walkway that led up to a wide expanse of a long wrap-around porch held up by large white beams. Framed with a white picket border that even had a swinging bench attach to the roof off to the right, the porch was also accompanied with various scattered chairs. The large white door seemed inviting and the hulking windows on either side if it looked like they would light up the house with sunlight 24/7.

It was nothing like what she was use to; nothing like her old house. But something deep inside her thought that it wasn't even half as bad as she imagined. It seemed warm.

As they pulled short into their new driveway, Ally noticed an old blue Chevy Bel Air convertible sitting in the space left in front of them, preventing so. Despite its age, which looked like it was an edition from around the 60's; it was still a nice looking car.

"Um, dad? Are we expecting someone?" She questioned in a confused tone as she pointed towards the convertible. She had a puzzled look on her face as she thought of who could possibly be visiting. They don't know anybody, really.

"No, honey. If you're asking 'cause of the car, it's suppose to be there." He said with an amused look on his face.

"You lost me."

He laughed at her confusion. "It's yours, sweetie. I got it for you since we had to sell your other car. I thought that you would like to have some way to get around." He had an excited glint in his eyes as he smiled at her. She was shocked.

"W-what? It's mine?" She gasped. He nodded.

She shot out of the car suddenly and ran for the driver's side of her new car. She looked it over and gently touched the worn white leather interior. It was perfect and totally her. She was baffled by the lengths of her father's kindness.

"You might need this." Her dad was now stood beside her, dangling a key in front of her face. She took them from his hand and slowly turned to look up at him and smiled warmly, for the first time since they left Maine. Her heart swelled.

She then embraced him, slipping her arms tightly around his mid-section. "Thank you, daddy. I love it."

He instantly returned the gesture. "No problem, Allyson. I'm so glad you like it." He then kissed the top of her head and pulled away. "Now before you go racing off, let's go in and look around our new home. I know you're going to love it."

She grabbed his wrist before he could walk away and looked him dead in the eyes. "I do, dad. Love it, I mean."She said softly. " I'm sorry I've been so rude since we left Maine, but I don't want you to think that I'm ungrateful. I appreciate you, dad, and all that you do for me. I love you."

Lester simply looked at his daughter's lovely face as she said those reassuring words to him. At that moment, as they arrived to start a new chapter in their lives together, that was exactly what he needed to hear from her. And it warmed his heart greatly.

"I love you too, sweetie. Now let's go on in, hmm?" He put an arm around her shoulders and together, they walked up the front steps of their new home.

Ally was glad that the gift of her car had made her realize how much her dad thought about her. She needed that gesture to let her know her dad needed to be assured of how much she was glad to have him as her father. And she was.

So as they walked into their new home and she let her eyes wander around the rooms leisurely. Taking in everything one step at a time, Ally was weirdly overcome by a strange strong feeling that didn't sit right with her. It was deep in her gut, a type of sensation she only got when something really big was coming on. This feeling was telling her that somehow, Bay Beach was going to change her life in ways she would never have dreamed of.

And that scared Ally straight down to her boots.

**A/N: I am currently writing chapters 3-5 and will post them all at once together or weekly if you prefer. **

**What do you think so far!? Can you predict anything that you think might happen in this story?**

**I bet you can't. I got lots in store :) **


	3. Call Him What You Will

**A/N: Next up, number Two. Do you like it so far?**

** Just so you know, there is a lot of background info that needs to be explained before anyone specific *wink wink* can meet.**

**All in due time, though.**

**Once again, viewer discretion is advised.**

**Enjoy & review!**

**-B**

* * *

"I got this shit handled, Nate. Now, stop riding my ass and let me do what I do."

Austin Moon all but growled through the receiver. He was getting restless on his end of the phone, his patience wearing thin quicker than usual. Maybe it was because the two snakes of associates were late for the scheduled meeting time, or maybe even because of the fresh leather rash starting to itch on his lower back. But if he really had to guess, he would say it's highly because of the constant bitchy badgering that Nathaniel Smith was lacing into him with. 'Vice-Pres' was really laying out his warning this time.

Or maybe it was just because Austin woke up on the wrong side of the hay today. Who knows?

Nonetheless, he was growing tired of being read the riot act like this was all new to him. If Austin knew how to do anything, it was how to get a payment sorted.

"If I don't ride it, Aust, than what I'm saying won't sink into that thick skull of yours." Nate relayed to him through the line. "Come on, kid. Just listen for once. I'm just warning you on behalf of all our sakes to not fly off the hinge this time."

Austin snorted. "Do you want me to get this job done or not?" He said in a flabbergasted tone.

Sighing deeply, Nate responded. "Obviously. We wouldn't have sent you if you were known to do otherwise. Just don't get your ass locked up, that's all I'm saying."

With a small chuckle, Austin could just imagine the vein bulging out of his father's neck in anger if Nate were to tell him that his son got thrown in the pen again for the night. "That's it? That's all this is about? Please," he scoffed. "Don't you worry, Nate. I got everything under control."

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about…" He said more to himself. "Just get the payment, send a message to the little pricks, and bring it all back to the clubhouse without making it on the 6'o clock news, alright?"

And with that last warning, Nate hung up, leaving Austin to himself to wait for things to uncoil as scheduled. Sitting at the dark bar in the back of the shady pool hall, with his dark jean clad legs dangling over the tall stool he sat upon, he decided to down the last of his beer before he lost the chance to. When he finished, he made a satisfied sound and went to pull up the black hood attached to his leather club vest to conceal his fair-haired head. Leaning forward against the old grainy bar counter, he could almost feel the thick pungent haze of cigarette smoke that hung lofty in the air and filled his lungs to the brink. He could hear the sound of queue sticks ricocheting off pool balls mixed with the clanking of distant drink glasses.

_Joey's Pool Hall _was a little more vacant than usual but given it was early evening, that much was to be expected anywhere on the pier. Give it a few more hours, and the whole beachside boardwalk will be swarming with the people of Bay Beach like it always does at this time of year. Located on the more risky part of Wicker Pier, the poorly lit pool hall's attendance was filled with its usual roster of punks, rowdy men, and loose woman who all kept to themselves. Obviously, not many others dared to venture over to this neck of the pier. But then again, Austin was far from the normal view of 'others'.

Shifting on his stool, Austin twirled his empty bottle by the neck absentmindedly and glanced at the door again quickly to make sure his expected guests haven't entered without him knowing so. Sitting at the far end of the bar, he had to slightly squint but he could tell that no familiar shadows darkened the already shady threshold and that new knowledge angered him. He was growing impatient. He _hated_ being kept waiting, especially when it was by traitorous sacks of crap like Trey and Devon. But he couldn't really blame them though; they had no idea what was coming for them. Or rather who.

Austin still couldn't grasp how the two of them had the balls to hang the club out to dry right underneath their noses, knowing the serious repercussions of it. Even worse, he couldn't believe they thought they could get away with it without paying for those consequences. It was associates like these—two dealers too caught up in the money of it all—that got Austin called in to do what he does best; handle shit and keep it that way.

But this—this issue was different. It was personal.

You see, _Deadwood Covenant_ could handle being cut out of their money by arrogant little twats like Trey Brown and Devon Doddler, who didn't know their place and got greedy at the first signs of cash flow, since all the club would need to do would be to whip those dealers into shape and cut them down to size to show the reality of the club's authority. But when they were being sold out and deceived in the name of _Hell's Fury_, than that was a brutal and instant death sentence written for anyone choosing to get involved.

And for that, Austin was more than ready to skin and gut their asses.

As he gritted his teeth at the fresh notion of it all, he felt a weird sensation on the back of his neck and he just knew the two of them had finally decided to show up. Discreetly looking over his shoulder, his suspicions were confirmed as he saw the two of them enter the doorway, looking a little rattled. They stopped to look around and probably see if who they had planned on meeting was here but once noticing that Jimmy, for who Austin was sent instead—wasn't around, they decided to walk on over to the bar and take the empty seats that were one down from Austin.

With slight tremoring voices, they ordered two beers while they thought to wait. To them, Austin probably looked like any average drunk who came wandering in here to drown himself in licker. With his head concealed under the shadow of his dark hood and his hand gripped on his empty beer bottle like it had a purpose, it was completely believable and he wasn't even worth a glance. Since they weren't expecting him and would know him as soon as they saw him, Austin decided against revealing himself to them right away and waited it out, just to see what their last words were before they aren't able to let them be voiced anymore.

Settling in, Trey—sitting closest to Austin—quickly scanned the room once more before he turned to look at Devon with a bit of a squeamish tinge and his hands buried deep into his coat pockets.

"I don't know about this, Dev. I got a bad feeling." He looked around again like he was afraid someone would be listening in. Little did he know…"Something's not right. _Covenant _isn't stupid. They have to know something's up."

Devon was watching the door before he turned to Trey. "Don't puss out on me now, Trey. We knew what we were doing when we signed into this shit." He seemed more confident than he sounded. "_Fury_ promised us a better deal if we did this, you know that. If we gave them the larger portion of _Deadwood Covenant_'s cut of our sales than in turn, they'd give us protection."

Trey didn't look too convinced. In fact, he looked even more worried. "Yeah, but is earning twice the money we're making worth seriously ticking off one out of two of the county's most_ notorious_ biker gangs and on top of that, pissing in _both_ their ponds just so we can sit pretty?! " He was becoming a little frantic as he whisper-yelled at his dealing partner. "I don't like those odds, man, we need to get real. We're playing on extremely dangerous grounds and if we're not serious soon, we're going to get ourselves killed. Do you really want to get caught in the middle of a two-generation long feud?!"

"Did you not hear me? Or are you deaf? _Fury_ said they'll protect us! We can trust them until we have the means to disappear! And they're offering us more than ten times of what we were making dealing for _Covenant_! You want to turn that down?!" Devon had a wild look in his eye that made Austin think Devon himself didn't even know the answer to his own question. Not surprised in the least that _Fury _was bribing them but was infuriated that they thought for even a fraction of a second that any of them thought they could get away with it, Austin still remained conspicuous.

Devon took a deep breath. "We keep this up." He gave his partner a harsh stare. "Fuck _Deadwood Covenant_. They deserve it. They we're going to screw us over eventually anyway. At least this way, we come out on top rich as hell while they're too distracted with each other to care about us as we slip away. It's perfect, really." Devon desperately tried to rationalize the situation. What he didn't want to come to terms with though, was that he just signed over their deaths.

Austin smiled to himself as he heard the trash coming out of Devon's mouth. He was going to relish the moment he watched this blow up in their faces. He looked at Trey out of the corner of his eye, who was just staring at his hands clasped in front of him on the bar's counter.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just freaking out a bit. This is _really_ risky." He said in a shaky voice.

_Show-time_, Austin thought.

"You're right, it_ is_ pretty risky. It be a pity if anyone from _Covenant_ were to figure this out." Both Devon and Trey quickly looked to their right to see a tall hooded figure sitting in the closest occupied stool that had just made a comment about their private conversation.

"That's none of your god damn business, you drunk. Why don't you just concentrate on probably your hundredth beer in front of you and turn away." Trey spat at him.

Austin snickered sinisterly with a shake of his head and then gingerly pulled the hood back from his face to reveal to these two idiots who they just attempted to intimidate.

"You see, I would Trey, but I much rather keep listening to how you two dipshits decided it was okay to fuck around with, oh, how did you put it, the county's most _notorious _biker gang?" Austin said with a condescending tone and fire in his eyes as he smirked at them with evil satisfaction.

Devon and Trey completely paled and caught their breath when they saw Austin Moon was the person next to them. A True Blood descendant of _Deadwood Covenant_ and the deadliest man alive in all of Deadwood County. Being the last man they ever wanted to see, knowing what his presence entailed, they instantly realized what was happening and froze on the ground where their stood. Practically wetting the floor underneath them, the two men took in the full sight of the one person they prayed they'd never meet under these circumstances in their entire lives. Standing well over six feet in a rigid stance that instilled chilling fear, all dressed in black and dark shadows, the only lightness about him was the alabaster of his skin and the signature Moon family's head of blonde hair. Gulping deeply, they realized the young man was every bit as deadly and intimidating as people who survived to tell the tale said he was. And by the look that he was giving them, it didn't seem they'd be telling anyone soon of their findings either.

Almost instantly, they two of them consciously and slowly started to back away from the bar. Devon spoke up first, with his eyes glued on Austin, in a stuttering voice that was nothing like the vigorous one he was using with Trey only a moment ago. "Hey, man. We were just –I mean it wasn't—we don't want any trouble. We can fix this."

He held his hands up in front of him like he was surrendering already. But Austin wasn`t going to get that lucky, he knew these two were just cowards.

Trey was twitchy and Austin could practically see every drop of sweat that was running down his face. He held a hand up in surrender but pointed his other in Devon's direction. "I didn't know any better! It was all Devon's idea, Austin! I just went along with it!" Trey turned on Devon like a sniveling little girl.

"You little snake!" Devon accused, smacking Trey's hand away from pointing at him. "You'd sell me out like that?! I'll k—"

"Boys, Boys. Shut your mouths. Better yet, why don't sit your asses back on the stools and don't dare to take another step in that door's direction."

Austin almost laughed out loud at the way the two of them were cowering away from him like rats but instantly obeyed to his command. At least they knew how to do something right. He tucked his hands in his vest pockets and smiled at them in a mocking manner.

"Now that's much better." They both sat frozen, staring at him and looked like they just saw a ghost or better yet, saw their own ghosts telling them they're dead meat. Austin moved to stand in front of them and looked them both dead in the eye. "So now that we're all acquainted and you understand why I'm here, where should we start?" His voice was all faux in its niceness. It was even scarier than if he was being outright. "Maybe on the part with how you two morons thought you could outsmart _Covenant_? Or maybe how you thought _Fury_ was the better choice in any of this?" He tsked at them and he shook his head in fake sympathy. He then gave out a loud devious laugh that scared both Devon and Trey right to their still hearts when they caught the flare of venom drowning the deep brown of his eyes to black.

All of a sudden, a dark cloud overtook the rest of Austin's features and all traces of humour and teasing vanished from his face and left behind nothing but pure, terrifying dominance and hate as he balled his fists. "Bad choice you worthless lot made," he seethed. "You just shit on the wrong boots, my friends..."

Soon as he said that, Devon and Trey both looked at each with a panicked stare and a common thought seemed to pass between them. Austin not being a idiot, he caught on pretty quick but before he could even realize what they were daring to do and grab them, they both flew off their stools, knocking them over, and bolted for the door as fast as they could.

"Shit! Why does everyone gotta run? They make my job so much harder on them." Austin growled to himself. Then he screamed, "DEZ! Now!" in the direction the two of them were running.

Devon and Trey were almost home-free when suddenly; the doorway to the Pool Hall was consumed by a tall young man with his arms crossed, his face full of amusement.

"Not so fast, you scum. We're not finished with you yet." Dez McCormick was seated in the small booth beside the front entrance, hidden, and when he heard Austin's signal, he came to stop the two dealers before they could have a chance to escape like the cowards they were.

They were now trapped.

Devon cursed under his breath. "Just let us go. We'll pay you back the money we owe, just let us go and will do it!"

"Do I look like a dumbass to you? You really think I'm gunna let you go after the stunt you just pulled and trust your word?" Austin was now standing behind them, opposite to Dez, stopping them from running in either direction again. He then looked up at Dez. "Good work, bro."

Dez inclined his ginger head to his best friend but didn't take his eyes off Devon and Trey for a second, both of which were practically trembling now but trying not to not show it, letting them know that they were weak. There was no point, though, Dez and Austin could smell their fear from a mile away.

In a flash, Austin grabbed Devon's flannelled shirt front and pinned him by his fists up against the ugly green wood paneling on the wall. Slightly lifting him off the ground, Austin pulled away from the wall slightly only to slam Devon right back into it with force, rattling his brain. Trey was completely still as he watched his friend with horror.

Austin leaned in real close. "Now, listen to me and listen to me good, you arrogant little shit." His deep voice was all lethal as he growled into Devon's ear. Devon couldn't breathe by how much his fear consumed him. His breaths were ragged and shallow as he stared into the face that was known to kill so many men who got this close to it. "Show's over. _Covenant _knows everything and we've known for a while. We've given you two the chance to come clean but your both too far up _Hell's Fury _and the Di Santis' asses to realize that we would've been lenient with you."

Austin tightened his fists in Devon's shirt. "Mind you, if it was _my _choice," he said. "I would have shot you both point blank as soon as I heard that you were snaking us to _Fury_."

"You can't do anything to us. If _Fury_ finds out, they'll kill you both. They promised us." Devon all but whispered in his low voice without any conviction whatsoever.

With a haughty laugh and a large grin on his face, he slammed Devon against the wall again, this time harder than before. "You're pathetic. You really believe _Hell's Fury_ gives a shit about you? You're worth nothing to them and even less to _Covenant_ now. You fucked with the wrong people, Doddler. Now, here's what you're going to do—"

"Austin, watch out!"

Austin began to say, "For what?" when he heard Dez but was cut off when he felt a body launch at his back and grab onto his shoulders, attempting to haul him back.

Trey grappled onto Austin Moon's shoulders in a last resort to save Devon and his life. He knew it was completely futile and was probably going to unleash something worse than either of them anticipated but he wasn't going down without a fight even if he was stricken with fear.

All in the span of five seconds, Devon fell out of Austin's grip and clipped his jaw before he lost his courage. But as soon as he did and Trey released Austin who staggered away to recover, his own jaw felt a punch to it ten times the force he just delivered, given by none other than Austin's accomplice.

He clasped his probably broken jaw in his hand as he howled in pain, and was then gripped and thrown to the ground, receiving another full force to his jaw, pulverising it further.

"You really shouldn't have done that." Austin chided as he now straddled Devon and began to send a dozen full force punches to the little punk's face. Stopping only when his knuckles came up bloody and all Devon could do was grunt in pain, he grabbed Devon's throat tightly and pulled his ear up to his mouth so he could speak to him.

"Now, I'm only going to say this once and you better _pray_ I don't have to repeat myself." He spoke lowly, his voice dripping with anger and venom. "You are going to pay back every fucking _cent_ you owe _Deadwood Covenant_ and you're going to bring it to the clubhouse before midnight tonight. If you decide to screw us _again _and I have to come after you…well, let's just say men who cross my path more than once unnecessarily, don't ever survive." Devon's eyes were beginning to swell shut and his breath was almost non-existent.

Austin was completely infuriated by the balls this guy thought he had by not only trying to two-time the club but by swinging at him as well. Fully ready to murder him where he lied, Austin only paused when he heard Dez.

"Don't, Aust. He's not worth getting locked up for it. Just finish up and let's get out of here." Dez was holding Trey, who was bruised and bloody, in his grip like it was nothing.

With a growl deep in his throat and a last hard blow to Trey's gut, Austin gritted his teeth in acceptation and spoke to him again. "Be lucky I'm letting you walk out of here alive because if I wasn't being held back right now, I wouldn't have given it a second thought. You'd be nothing be a bloody skid mark on the floor." He warned. "You bring that money tonight then you leave Deadwood County for good and pray you never see my face again, 'cause if you do, it'll be the last one you _ever _see."

With that, he got off of him and turned to Dez and Trey. Wiping at the blood trickling down the side of his mouth, he then sent Trey a death glare. "That goes for you too. You do as I say or you're both dead. Clear?"

Trey quickly nodded his head and Dez shoved him out of his grip to land on the floor beside Devon. Austin and Dez then glanced at each other as they walked out the door and up the stairs that led to the pier without looking back at the two "out-of-their-league" traitors, and began heading back to the clubhouse of _Deadwood Covenant._

* * *

**A/N: There's your taste of Austin's character. **

**Scary, but not to worry. He's not as bad as he seems.**


	4. All In The Family

**A/N: Here's another chapter. **

**Please enjoy. **

**REVIEW!**

Austin had been an empty kind of person for a long time, being raised to fill the emptiness with no love for anything but his family, while everything else could just go screw itself. But despite that, the only place where he feels any sense of semblance is astride this metal beauty. Although he's been riding on his own for well over three years and before that, on the back of his father's since he was just a kid, the feel of it all is still a sensation that's a novelty every time. Honestly, he didn't think there was a better feeling than this; there couldn't be. Nothing can compare to the way the wind blows over his skin and the vibration of the motor under his hands, increasing as he accelerates faster and faster. Austin has grown to become one with this object that other's just see as a heap of metal. But it's not just a bike; it's a symbol. It represents what he is, where he come from. And that will always mean more than anything.

Austin adjusted the sun glasses over his eyes before reveling in the last bits of heat from the setting sun. Riding down the familiar streets of Bay Beach, his home, with the vigorous familiar hum of his and Dez's sleek black bikes seeping deep into his system, he could only then start to feel his anger dissolve, calming him down from what just happened back at the pier. The trip back to the clubhouse was long but not long enough to fully squelch the fury he had, it seems.

The Moon "anger-gene" that runs deep in his veins isn't famous for no reason.

Pulling off the main strip down a side road and all while still working to keep his anger at bay, Austin began to think over everything that went down to justify with himself exactly why he let those worms walk away. He absolutely hated when the egotistical dealers got big heads and overstepped, thinking they could over power the club. Seriously, who did they think they were? They had no importance in anything, no dominance in any aspect whatsoever. They mostly sell dope and pot to desperate and ignorant high schoolers, if that. All they are were go-betweens pawns the secret networks use to keep their hands pure, and nothing more. They are nothing compared to the capabilities of _Deadwood Covenant_, whose been involved in the secret networking's of Deadwood County since before any of the little punks were born.

Yeah, Austin was young too, but this is was his birthright that he take very seriously. He was born, bred, and thrived into this and with that came the responsibilities, danger, and risk that were and are still far beyond anything any kid his age has to deal with. He had seen things that some grown men haven't even witnessed in the span of their entire lives, done harsh things he needed to in order to survive in this 'other' world. But no, some people don't realize their positions on the chain and think they can just mess with the system of things without causing shit to stir.

And throw a slug at his jaw, to boot.

_Please, their so pathetic it sickens me_, Austin scoffed to himself in his head. At least he knows his level of status and doesn't try to redraw the boundary lines.

But being a typical True Blood descendant, like Dez was for instance, was one thing. But being one of the Founder of the club was something completely different. Being Atticus Moon's grandson, the man who created _Deadwood_ almost 50 years ago, yeah, well, it put on more pressure than anything else in Austin's life. His capabilities and importance to the club feel amplified with the obligation to stay true to them and sometimes, it became all consuming where he's had to reel himself back in a couple times before he fell off the edge. But in all seriousness, this was his life whether he chose it or not, and Grandpa Attie just loved reminded him of that.

But as Austin thought his through, he knew that he was damn proud of his lineage, no matter how much of a raze Grandpa and his dad can become. Atticus is a smart man, he knew what he was doing from the get-go and he knew how to bring men together as a brotherhood, a family. It's what's made the club so solid all these years. Micheal Moon, Austin's father, inherited that trait from Atticus full throttle and as he took the position of President like his father before him, he was doing him proud by following his example. So since then, the club has completely grown massively and dominated in status throughout the county. Grandpa Atticus truly did make a name for his club that was respected and feared at the same time.

But then there was Austin, the kid that "flies off the hinge" and is the equivalent of talking to a brick wall with the amount of instructions he obeys. Sure, he's not exactly the ideal candidate but when he's right, they know he's right. They _have_ to put up with his bullshit, because much as they hate to admit it, he gets things taken care of. Ask anyone, they'll tell you exactly who Austin is and what he's capable of. Maybe even a scary rumor or two…

Dez and Austin slowed as they approached the tall and large solid steel gate round back of the lot where the clubhouse was located at the far end of town. They pulled up short and stopped at the small buzzer at the left hand side, and Austin pressed it. The large security camera perched up above on top the wall above twisted and zoomed, seeing who it was at the gate. An entrance buzzer went off as the hulking gate pulled open slowly. With a salute towards the camera's direction, they both pushed their cycles forward into the clubhouse's property.

Sitting on a substantial amount of land, encased by a heavily fortified 8 foot tall solid retaining wall, the large barn house-like building known as the clubhouse, sat in the middle of the lot like it has since even before _Deadwood Covenant _was even created. Before that, all this empty land belonged to _McCormick Motors _owned by Dez's family, which was located at the front of the property, still fully functioning as the town's best auto shop.

To all their knowledge, _Deadwood Covenant _was just a name for an innocent club, filled with bike-fanatics and motor heads. They believed the large quantity of bikers that hung out around the place was just a normal group of people with a strong sense of what a hobby is . But little did they know they ran everything that goes down in this town. Bikers weren't as bad as people made them out to be and it was because of that stereotype that they usually came off as unapproachable. As long as you don't rub them the wrong way, there's never a problem. In fact, some of the members are even active members of the community, if you can believe it. Austin is probably the only one who stays true to the image. Calloused, snide, sarcastic, and all around scary, he's a bit rough around the edges. But he thinks it helps to keep the fake people away from him, at least.

Matter of fact, it helps to keep everyone unnecessary away from him most of the time. And that's the way he likes it.

"Austin, I'm going to head into the garage for a tune up. My bike's been making a weird noise all day."

Dez raised his voice over the sound of his motor and Austin simply nodded his head at him and followed behind his motor head of a best friend. Dez McCormick had been Austin's best friend since before either of them was born. You see, the Moon and McCormick blood lines have been allies and companions since the beginning with Atticus and Charlie, both of their grandparents, and it was just destiny that the two boys would click as well as they did. They didn't know why exactly but the two families meshed so well together, it was like they were one. Austin supposed that being together all the time and being raised as if they _were_ one family just made it that more obvious for the two of them to become as attached as they did.

As they rumbled into the large auto garage and parked their bikes off on the far end, Austin clambered off and began to stretch his stiff back as well as stiff jaw. Dez followed suit but only to strip off his leather jacket to reveal his mechanics jumper and get straight to riffling through tools in the box off to the side.

Austin peeled off his vest as it was making him hot and watched Dez in amusement, as the kid was always ready to work knee deep in grease. He guessed it ran in his blood like Austin's grandfather's traits ran in his. As Austin began stowing away his helmet and folding his glasses into his pocket, he thought of how typical the two of them were but at the same time, so different. Just as he was beginning to tell Dez he was gunna head out, he was startled when he heard a slight rustle and clanging of metal from the car next to him.

"Aw, damn it!"

Daniel Pierce rolled out from underneath the old Volvo he was currently working on and was sporting a nice large oil stain right on the middle of his white t-shirt as well as a completely pissed off look on his face. Not much older than 30, Daniel always looked like he put on a few years when he made a face like that.

"You have got to be kidding me!" He had his arms open as he held them away from his dirty chest and stared at the nasty stain in disbelief. "That is the third god damn ti-" Daniel stopped and pulled out his greasy ear buds when he looked up and caught the shocked, smirking faces of Dez and Austin.

"Oh hey guys. Didn't hear you get in. I was just, uh, working on the Mrs. Gallagher's Volvo." Daniel smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah, it looks like the Volvo was working on you, Dan." Dez said teasingly to his step- father as he laughed out loud before turning back to the tools he placed out beside his bike.

Austin laughed at Dan as well as he pulled off his riding gloves. "You better clean up. Charlie said if you leave another spill on the floor, he'll have your balls."

Daniel was preoccupied with trying to wipe away the excess oil with a rag and pry to sticky fabric away from his chest but looked up at Austin's comment.

"Forget Charlie. If Mary gets to me first, I'll be begging for my father-in-law's punishments instead, trust me."

Both Austin and Dez were bursting in laughter of the actual reality and seriousness of that. Daniel Peirce had been married to Dez's mother, Mary McCormick, for as long as anyone could remember but she still manages to have him wrapped as tightly around her little finger as she did the first day she met him. Ever since, Daniel had been Dez's step father and the biological one of Dez's two twin step sisters. For club matters though, Dez preferred to keep his mother's last name.

Austin held his hands up in honesty and well-known experience. "No worries Dan, don't need to tell me twice. I've felt Mary's wrath one too many times as a kid playing in the dirt with Dez when we wasn't supposed to."

Dan wiped off his hands with the rag as he looked down at the wreck of a t-shirt again. "Yeah, well, maybe I should grab a new shirt and start cleaning before I feel that wrath too."

"You do that, I'm gunna head up to the clubhouse. See you two later."Austin saluted and began to walk off once he saw Dez's recognition of a simple thumb's up from his crouched space underneath his bike.

Austin cut through the garage's business office to get out to the back where the clubhouse was. He rubbed at his sore jaw, now even more so do to all the laughing he just did. Damn, as much as he hated to admit it, Devon had a good right hook. But it was a sneak attack and Austin wasn't going to satisfy its purpose with his pain. Trying to forget the stiffness, Austin walked out the back door and stepped out onto the asphalt of the lot but was cut off by the passing flock of recently arrived members. Lined with rows on rows of custom club member's bikes framing the long distance the entire property spanned, the air always smelling heavy with recently burned gas. As Austin began to amble on over to the clubhouse, he nodded and inclined his head to various members loitering around who said hello to him. Not many were young like him but some were close to his age. He didn't mind it.

Austin pulled open one of the heavy double doors to the clubhouse and stepped into the air-conditioned building, moving past a few men walking the opposite way. The foyer was attached to a small dark hallway that lead out in to the big open commons room, lively with activity and bustling with loud rowdy voices. Being as it was evening, most people were usually in the clubhouse grabbing something to eat or just hanging around. Nonetheless, this time of day was when it was the busiest. The large open room was draped in blacks and browns. Upon the walls hung various provocative posters but as well as tasteful hand crafted art that had the _Deadwood Covenant _logo all on it.

On the left side of the room sat the fully equipped bar with numerous shelves of stocked alcohol. The multiple pool tables across the floor were in full swing of play as the men gathered and joked with each other after a tiring day. He looked straight ahead at the doors that lead to the club's meeting room, and since the doors were closed, he assumed one was currently in session. A large boisterous crowd of laughter then came from the seating area near the big opens windows, catching Austin's attention as he went to sit at the bar. It was a small group of prospects getting to know each other, all around Austin's age or older. He scowled and looked away with a roll to his eyes, as if the sight took energy out of him. Prospects were recruits to the club and had to endure many tasks and initiations to be able to join for good. Being newbie's though, they didn't know much of anything and it seriously tested Austin's patience to be around any of them most of the time.

"Hey kid. Can I get you a beer?" Morrie the Bartender said to him from the opposite side of the tall granite counter. Morrie was your normal rotund man with a thick scruffy white beard and glasses that perched on his nose. He was the one who always dressed up in the Santa suit during Christmas time when Austin, his siblings, and the rest of the kid's of the club were young. _Deadwood _Covenant paid him to be their licensed bartender in exchange for keeping their secrets just that; secret, but valued him as a loyal friend.

Morrie then looked at Austin's quizzically and with slight concern. "Or maybe a pack of peas for that nice bruise you're sprouting on your jaw."

Austin immediately groaned and glanced in the back mirror of the bar to confirm if Morrie was right. To his dismay, a nice big purpling bruise was flowering.

"Greaaat." Austin mumbled. He then looked back at Morrie's round jolly face smiling at him, a lightness flickering in his eyes. Man, the guy really did look like Santa. Just a biker version of him.

"Stop smiling, old man. It was a total sucker punch. I didn't see it coming." Austin tried to keep a straight and serious face but Morrie's teasing glint at his latest comment always made him crack a smirk.

"Sure, sure Austin. All I know is if the other guy got to you at all," he said while pointing at his bruise. "I don't even wanna imagine what _he_ looks like right now."

Austin chuckled darkly and wiggled his eyebrows playfully at Morrie, letting him know the prick got it back tenfold for even daring to lay a hand on him. Morrie just shook his head at Austin and began to wipe the counter on his way to reach for a cold beer in the underneath cooler.

"You just better make sure your mother doesn't see that thing." Morrie warned.

"It's only a matter of time. Other people have seen me already so…" And as if they were working on cue, Austin heard the clacking of high heels on the rickety hardwood floors coming from a distance down the outside hallway, signalling that most likely his mother had just entered the clubhouse. Damn.

Morrie burst out in a deep jovial laughter that made Austin clench his teeth while sending him his signature death glare.

"I don't know how that woman does it." Morrie said between giggles.

"Shut up, Morrie." Soon as Austin spat that at his hysterical friend, he saw the tall slim figure of his mother appear in the large doorway of the commons room. Standing only a little under Austin's height, with long straight dirty blonde hair, Mabelle Moon stopped and let her gaze scan across the whole of the room as if in search of something in particular. Her smile to the people around her that said hello as they walked by was only half true as her attention was elsewhere, searching with purpose. Her bright blue eyes finally landed on their mark; the dark brown of her son's, and sharpened as she took him in.

"Austin Atticus Moon." Her voice held an elegant but strongly scathing tone.

Austin groaned again. He turned away, preparing himself for the inevitable onslaught, and gave a harsh stare to Morrie who chuckled once more and went off to attend another man seated at the bar. Mabelle made her way over to her son and immediately grabbed his chin tightly in her grasp, tilting it to inspect the damage.

"God damn it, boy. What have I said about fighting? Look at this face of yours."

Austin growled deep in his throat as he pulled his chin roughly out of his mother's hand.

_"Ow,_ mom. That hurt's, stop." He tried to be as nice as he could while also being assertive. It was a hard feat.

"What have you gone and done this time? How many _times_ do I have to tell you to use your words before letting your fists fly where they may? You need to control that tem-"

He cut his mother off before he lost it on her. "Yeah, okay, mom. I get it. I'm not a little kid. Now will you lay off, I'm fine, alright? Geez, you're embarrassing me."

Mab's blue eyes flared as she grabbed his wrist in a tight grip before he could turn from her again. "Don't sass me, Austin. I don't care about how you act in this club; I'm still your mother, you hear me?"

Austin softened slightly as he saw the deep level of worry in his mother's eyes floating around with her anger. He didn't like it when his mother was over worried for him or any of his siblings, in fact. Despite his bravado and reputation of being a heartless devil, he loved his mother and family more than anything. He pried off her hand from his wrist and held it gently instead.

"I know, mom, I know. I'm sorry. But everything's alright, _I'm_ alright. You don't need to worry all the time; I know what I'm doing. You taught me well, no?" He offered her a genuine goofy smile that only she ever saw. This was a side of him strictly reserved for his mother and siblings. No one else.

Standing equal to his seated height on the stool, she stared at him in the eyes for a few seconds before she deflated and smiled back, taking him into her arms for a tight brief hug.

"I know, sweetie. I just can't help it sometimes. You make me so worried." She mumbled into his neck before she pulled away and took a seat on the stool beside him.

Mab Moon was a proud mother of four children and from time to time, she got a little overworked by all the danger around them that she tended to smother them with protection. Her youngest, Gabriel, was only seven years old and she was adamant at keeping him out of the politics of the club. Even though he loved being around everyone and everyone loved_ having_ him around, she tried her best to keep him as sheltered as she could to give him a normal childhood like everyone else his age. But her second youngest and only daughter was another problem entirely. Ariadne was fifteen, already in high school and set in her ways of proving her toughness and independence, constantly challenging Mab and those around her. But Mab could sympathize with her only girl, since she has to grow up in such a heavily male environment that it's easy to want to show equality in their world. But nonetheless, she was just as protective if not even more, of her little girl.

Then came Austin, her second oldest. She looked at him as he aimlessly watched the game playing on the TV above them. Only twenty and she swears he'll be the death of her. Ever since he was a child, he has been so rambunctious and instigating, so much like her husband and father-in-law that she feels like she'll stroke if she gives the troubles he encounters too much thought. And with the reputation he's built for himself, that she is not proud of in the slightest, she constantly worries every time he leaves this lot or the confines of their home, afraid of all the enemies he's acquired at such a young age.

And then…Then there was her oldest son. Tommy.

Her heart clenched at the thought of her boy and momentarily froze the blood in her veins. It still hurt like hell, as fresh as the day he left this world. Just to even think of him caused her searing pain and sadness right to her core. He would have been twenty-four. Her baby, her first born; taken for no valid reason at all other than that he and their whole family held the name associated with the club and that made all of them a target. She knew that was a problem, she knew it as soon as she met Michael, but as much as she despised and loathed it, all of it was bigger than her and out of her control.

She chose this fate and she has to deal with it. But it doesn't make the reality of a lost child any more easier to cope with. If anything, it makes her harder.

Austin watched his mother discretely as worry and anxiety chased their way across her beautiful features. She was staring at her hands in her lap and was probably thinking over all the things that could harm Austin or the rest of their family. She did it on a daily basis, she was such a loving person, and he knew that. Of course he did, how could such a sweet caring women like her not always think of those she loves before herself? He admired her for that. But he didn't want her to carry an unnecessary burden.

Just then, the conference room doors swung open, letting out a horde of men and a cloud of cigarette smoke to follow. Austin turned to see among the respected club members was his father, the president of _Deadwood Covenant_, Michael Moon. He was currently talking to Nate about something but once his presence was accounted for in the room, everything and everyone grew just a little bit silent. Michael Moon, stretching higher and thicker than an aged oak, is the most striking mix of intimidation and authority Austin has ever come across. If there was one other person in this town slightly more feared than Austin—among those who knew what this town was really about—, it was his father. Sporting the same Moon family physical characteristic of bright wispy blonde hair, something all of Michael's children inherited from him, and the haunting brown eyes of his father before him, he was truly something to behold.

But he was too concentrated, too preoccupied with something and as soon as he finished speaking with his vice, he quickly b-lined out of the room with a few of his men, all without noticing his wife or son seated a few feet away from him. He was in pure business mode it seemed, and if he had seen them, he definitely would have stopped to address them.

To the Moon family, family was _everything_ and no one took that more seriously than Michael. Well, maybe his father did. But regardless, they both knew the preciousness of it.

Austin watched his dad exit the room like a man on a mission and told himself he'd see him later. Maybe. But he was then approached by Nate, who looked at him in a disappointed kind of way, and all traces of his dad left his mind and was replaced with insult. Why was Nate looking at him like that?

He gestured to Austin's face. "Well, I guess this is better than being hauled in for the night."

Mabelle turned in her seat and gasped. "Watch your tongue, Nate."

"Yeah," Austin scoffed. "And why are you so surprised? I know it's hard to believe, but I_ can_ choose to listen to your little rants every once in a while."

Nate rubbed his forehead. "I wasn't ranting, I was merely emphasizing." He sighed. "It's for your own good, trust me. Did you at least send your message loud and clear? Do they understand?"

Austin huffed at that. He was starting to get a little annoyed with Nate's doubting. "Yes, Nate. I did my job. Is that what you want to hear?" He snipped. "Don't worry; we'll have the cash by midnight tonight. And if we don't, well, they know the consequences I put on their heads. Nobody snakes me and you know that."

"I trust you, Aust. I don't worry about that ever." He leaned in a gripped Austin's shoulder with a slight squeeze and looked over at his mother briefly as well. "We're all just a little tense with the whole situation with _Hell's Fury_ undermining us and all."

Austin didn't like where this was starting to lead with their rivals in the next town over. In Rose Hill, they may do things one way but over here in Bay Beach, _Covenant _doesn't have to play dirty to get what they really want and it was starting to seriously piss them all off with the way things were starting to surface.

Mab stood from her stool. "We can handle anything they try and throw at us. We're stronger than they'll ever be and as long as we know that, we'll always come out on top."

_If only it were that simple..._

She gave a warm smile to Nate who returned it to her. She then looked at her son. " I'm going to go pick up your brother from your grandparent's house. Which means it's getting late and you should start heading home to rest as well, young man." She gave him a stern look as she turned to leave the clubhouse.

"I'll let you know what happens tonight. If those two rats don't show up, you'll be hearing from me."

"Gladly. It will be my pleasure to nail those two worthless shits for good." With that, Austin got up from his seat and said his goodbyes to Nate and Morrie as well as some of the other men in the clubhouse, then began to make his way over to his house to go and pass out. He only lived a five minute walk down the street from the lot, in a nice and cushy two story home, where his and Dez's family homes were all neighbours. You would never believe that the Moon's and Pierce/McCormick's were the type of people who lived in these large homes but their parents gave the two families the large properties when they started their own families. But they still wanted everyone near, so Charlie and Atticus had their own homes only a couple houses down from them, not straying too far just in case. It was perfect for babysitting and emergencies, or just bonding.

By then, night time had finally crested over town, and Austin was really starting to feel the draining of his strength that the day had placed on him. Everything seemed to kind of suddenly weigh him down by the shoulders. In that moment, his body was getting heavier and heavier to lug home and he hated to admit that his mom was right about going home to rest. He briefly popped his head into the garage to see if Dez was still around and when he saw he wasn't, he head back home on his own. As he neared the long driveway to his house, he thought about all the things that were going to start to possibly unfold in the next coming days, but he just knew that something big was coming. He could feel it in his gut. And he was seriously getting sick and tired of everyone, especially _Fury_, messing with the order of everything.

As Austin entered his house and was greeted by his siblings, his last semblance of a thought was how he really hated when things began to suddenly change without his control.


	5. Fresh Meat

**A/N: Hey There! Here's chapter Four and I promise things are going to start happening. **

**Please review & let me know if you guys like this at all. I don't really want to continue going with the story with an empty audience. **

**Just to be clear, Ally is 18 and Austin is 20. Ally is in her last year of high school. **

**Much appreciated! ENJOY!**

**-B**

Ally watched as the waves crashed on the surf in the distance below and the tide receded down the coast of the beach, fully empty of any traces of people. It was early Wednesday morning and Ally was sitting at the small breakfast table on the wraparound back porch on her new house, becoming quickly attached with the elevated view they had from their house's perch on the hill. She liked being able to see the far distance over the wide span of water; liked seeing a perfect and unobstructed view of the sun's set and rise.

She had been awake for quite some time now, seeing as she slept more than her fair share the last couple of days. Her father was probably awake by now as well, getting ready for his 'first big day' somewhere inside the house. Ally took a deep shaky breath. It would be pretty incorrect to say she wasn't nervous about attending her first day of school in a new place. As much as she tries to put on a show for her father that it didn't faze her in the slightest, she wasn't that accustomed to change and did sort of care a little on how it could possibly work out. It wasn't so much the 'friends' situation, but more of the opposite. What if she couldn't blend in as well as she did in Maine, being another passing face? What if she stuck out like a sore thumb and it made getting through senior year unnoticed, that much more difficult?

The worry was slightly unnerving her. She didn't get like this ever, she didn't know why this was so different from everything else. She didn't care about being looked at funny, everyone did that back home anyway. She was always 'the girl who didn't have a mother' or 'the girl who had too much attitude and not enough friends'. Maybe it was the looming thought that, somehow, she wasn't the same person. But Ally quickly shook that thought from her head. She was completely overreacting. _School was school, teenagers were teenagers_. It shouldn't be any more different here in Florida than it would be anywhere else in the country.

So why was she getting this weird feeling like Coast-Waters High wasn't your normal secondary school?

But just then, Lester Dawson walked out onto the back porch to find his daughter deep in thought. He took in the way the morning light caught the light brown highlights that naturally weaved in her dark hair, the wind picking it up and rustling it ever so faintly. He also noticed the faint frown line grooved on her forehead and she bit harshly on her bottom lip. She was already dressed in her typical Ally outfit for school.

"Morning, sweetie." He yawned softly while fixing his pale blue tie.

Ally looked up to see her dad pulling the seat out across from her and smile at her warmly. "How was sleep, for your first night?" He inquired.

"It was fine; sleep is sleep, right?" She mirrored his previous yawn but with a stretch of her back as well.

"Yes. I guess so. Mine was okay too, taking in how tired I was after that drive." He grabbed the banana Ally had brought out onto the table with the rest of her breakfast, and began to peel it back. But as he began to nibble away at it and Ally silently ate the rest of her cereal, what she didn't realize was her father analysing the uncomfortable look she had unmasked on her face as they did so. Ally then felt a large hand cover her free one placed on the table.

"Ally, I can tell something's not sitting right with you. You know you can tell me, right?"

Ally stilled as she heard the concern in her father's voice and saw the slight frown he had. She did know that, she just hated worrying her dad with stuff. He had enough to deal with.

"Nothing's wrong, its jus-I don't-I…I don't know, dad." She breathed. "I guess I'm just nervous, that's all."

"Oh, honey, you shouldn't be." He squeezed her hand affirmingly. "You and I both truly know you'll do fine. You're a smart, independent young women. And nothing's changed. Not really."

Weirdly, that was exactly the specific reassurance she wanted to hear and the fact that her father knew it without her telling him calmed her immensely.

"Besides, if either of us should be nervous here, it's me." He teased. " I'm starting a new job; in a new hospital with brand new patients and colleagues…What's high school compared to that?" He grin reached his cheeks; the one he knew always put a replicated one on Ally's face.

She couldn't help but giggle and smile with her father, feeling the lightest she had since Maine. He was right, he always was. Nothing is different, _she_ wasn't different. She was just fishing for problems that weren't really there.

As both of them rose from their seats, they hugged and Lester placed a kiss on the crown of her head. "I love you, and I hope you make the best of your day, no matter what. Now go on or we'll both be late."

Ally stepped away from her dad and gathered her things, as well as her car keys. With one last appreciating glance and blown kiss in her father's direction, she walked through the house towards her car, ready to finally face her first day at Coast-Waters.

* * *

Ally sat in the driver's seat of her car, completely idle. She followed her father's written directions easily and pulled into Coast-Waters High in record time. But even so, She'd been sitting in her car ever since. Parked snug in a lonesome space at the farthest end of the lot, she peered through her windshield to see her new school. Looking very modern in architecture, it sat at about 3 stories high on a very large, well trimmed piece of property.

She watched a group of giggling, barely dressed, tan girls saunter pass the front of her parked car. She shook her head and then briefly glanced down at her own clothes. She was so out of her element. The student's parking lot was rammed with kids like there was a huge concert going on and they were all waiting to get in. Crowding around parked cars or ones honking their ways through the masses, everywhere there was noise and bodies. Ally couldn't fathom it; she'd never seen so many people who looked so similar, convening in one place at once. She all of a sudden felt the need to deem herself Albino with the majority of tan, tawny skin she was taking in and comparing to her complete lack of pigment. She expected stereotypicalness like this but not to this high a level. It was _exactly _as she thought it be.

She released the tight grip she realized she had on the hem of her summer dress and wiped her damp palms across it to smooth out the wrinkles. She was stalling and she knew it. She didn't want to get out, already feeling like people were staring at her from every direction. But at the same time, she knew it wasn't true. What she also knew was that her school back in Maine was way more comforting compared to what she'd seen of Coast-Waters so far, and she hadn't even left her car yet.

Ally knew she had to grow a pair and actually walk out. She kept telling herself that getting through today would be the worst of it and before she knew it, she's be finishing high school and getting out of here. She could do this, she wasn't a wimp. Like her dad said, _nothing's changed. Not really. _

So swallowing back that tiny scared part of her that she really hated, she took a long breath and grabbed for her backpack on the seat next to her before finally opening her door. But before she could open it even a few inches wide to step out, she was quickly halted by a loud obnoxious honk and the screeching brakes of a huge white Escalade carelessly tearing through the parking lot and into the empty space beside hers. Instinctively, she jumped back into her seat with a gasp, pulling the door shut before it got ripped off.

"What the hell!" Ally said to herself, astonished.

She got out of her car with a slam to her door, fully ready to tear into the psychopath who almost killed her, but momentarily stopped in surprise to see four girls spill out of the truck, three of them howling in laughter while the driver came around the bed of the truck. By the looks of it, she was approaching Ally.

"Are you mentally fucked?! You could have seriously scratched my truck!"

Ally was taken aback by the dramatic and crass style of this girl. She was a bottle-blonde, skinny little thing wearing the tiniest skirt Ally could hope to imagine. With a look of utter self-righteousness written across her done up face, she was Ally's typical definition of a white-trash bimbo and her friends were no better. The girl was standing with one manicured hand placed on her jutting hip while the other dangled an expensive looking purse. Her expression showed nothing but pure annoyance over Ally's presence, her mouth bent in a disgusted grimace.

"Are you _deaf_ too?! I said you could have done serious damage, moron!" She accused Ally again.

Completely infuriated with the gall of this chick that was yelling and cussing at her for no reason, Ally contorted her face in complete disbelief, ready to defend the fact that this psycho shouldn't have been plowing her way through the parking lot in the first place.

"_Excuse me_?! I didn't-"

"Heeeey, Avery. This one's new; I haven't seen her around before," cut in one of the other girl's high pitch voice who looked like an uglier clone version of the Barbie currently in Ally's face. She gave Ally the once over that let her know she thought she was worthless, while chomping on her gum like a cow.

"Well, that explains it. Fresh meat doesn't ever know their place here and who to not give attitude to." She took one step closer to Ally, completely invading her space. "_Yet._" She added in a lurking whisper, which made Ally ball her hands at her sides. Who did this girl think she was, trying to control people she didn't even know? Avery flicked her long hair over her shoulder with a tilt to her head and sent her a smile that was so sickly sweet, it was hurting Ally`s stomach.

As Ally almost growled and was a millisecond away from throwing herself at Avery to rearrange her fake little face, a short curvy girl with a mop of black corkscrew hair stepped directly in between them and shoved Avery away abruptly, bumping her into her friends. Ally observed the intimidating Latina-looking girl who approached the group of bitches slowly and lethally.

"Back the hell up, Avery. As much as you like to believe you run shit, you don't. Now move along before this _fresh meat _over here sends you to the nurse, by the looks of it."

Avery staggered in her high heels and looked up at the short girl with a murderous stare as Ally watched in slight shock.

"Stay out of this, Trish." Avery warned through clenched teeth.

Trish's face darkened. "You better watch yourself, Drake. I don't think you want me to send you in for another nose job, do you? That would be a pity…"

Avery suddenly paled and gulped, not saying a word but instead, clutched her nose. Ally was surprised to see that this pint-sized girl deflated Avery, someone who acted like she was queen of the whole universe, so quickly with one threat. It made a shiver run down Ally's spine of how serious she probably was.

Avery suddenly screeched in pure frustration and anger, stamping her foot on the ground like a child throwing a tantrum. And then to Ally's complete bewilderment, Avery began to storm off with a fierce look. But before she got too far, she stopped in front of Ally.

"You got lucky. You won't always have Della Rosa over there to fight your battles. Watch your back." Those last three words made Ally's blood boil as she narrowed her eyes in Avery's direction as she sashayed off, making Ally completely regret coming out of her car at all, or even leaving her house this morning.

Feeling dazed and confused, Ally then turned to look at Trish who had her back slightly turned on Ally. Maybe now would be a good time to say something.

"Hey, Trish, is it? Thank you for, uh, defending me." Ally attempted awkwardly.

Ally wasn't expecting Trish to embrace her or offer up a bout of friendship or whatever, but she definitely wasn't expected her to do what she actually did. Whirling on her with a pissed off look on her face, she turned fully on Ally. "It wasn't done for your benefit, so don't thank me." She snapped bitterly at her and walked away. Just like that.

Ally leaned up against her car door, frozen and confused as hell. She suddenly was feeling like she was drained of energy as she watched Trish walk through the front of the school, people clearing a way for her through the crowd that blocked the entrance like she had the plague. Was any of what just happened real? It didn't feel that way to Ally. It felt like it was all a blur or a bad dream and she was going to wake up in her bed for her actual first day any minute now. As she wiped the sweat that started to build on her brow and adjusted the strap of the bag on her shoulder, she shook her head again in pure awe and began to walk in the direction Trish headed. As she entered the packed school and headed towards the main office, she pondered how she could make multiple enemies from only being on the premises for less than a half hour. That was a new record surely, even for her.

* * *

**Later On…**

Ally was ready to willingly fall on the closest sharp object she could find, just to end the torture she was enduring at the moment. After she went to the main office this morning and got her schedule for the semester, she apparently was to spend the day being lead on a school tour. At first, she didn't think that was too bad of a deal, seeing she wouldn't have to attend any of her classes, but once she met Nancy Fitz—student body president, Head of the Welcoming Committee, and overall, _absolute bore_—she was internally begging to be placed in any of her scheduled classes. It was currently lunchtime and Nancy insisted that instead of going to the cafeteria and stopping to actually eat, she thought Ally would much rather like to view the hallway of past graduated class's photos and the large trophy cases. Yeah, Ally would much rather bash her head into the nearest locker but she couldn't persuade Nancy otherwise. Despite her companion, so far Ally really liked the inside of the school; everything was really modern and appealing. But as for the students, well, they were not at all like the group she was use to.

Nancy was still droning on and on about boring nonsense but Ally tuned out a while back, wishing something would spontaneously combust to add some excitement to this tour.

Or at least give her the chance to run away from Nancy.

"Oh, look, Allyson! Here's the badminton team trophy!" She pointed into the glass case at a measly sized trophy. "We won first place this season and I was team captain. See? You can see me in the back there of the picture!"

"Mmmhhmm, that's really awesome, Nancy. Would it possible for us to go eat now?" Ally tried to be as nice as possible but she was really getting annoyed.

"Oh, gosh, no! We don't have time to break! I still have to show you the teacher's longue and the supplies closet and the-"

"Alright, pencil neck. That's enough of your verbal torture. Why don't you let me finish the tour up while you run along and go lick some envelopes or something?"

Ally turned and was completely stunned to see Trish leaning on the wall across from her, looking very amused but at the same time, slightly aggravated. Ally was coming to think she always seemed that way.

"oh, Patricia, hello there. Um, I don't think that's such a good-"

"Don't worry, Nancy," Trish said a little more assertively now as she pushed off the wall and Ally could see Nancy stiffening a bit. "I can handle it. Now, go on."

Nancy opened and closed her mouth like a fish and looked back and forth between Ally and Trish, her eyes wide in astonishment. She was guessing this never happens. Ally shrugged her shoulders at her, saying she didn't mind her leaving but really, she wanted Nancy to scurry more than probably Trish did.

"Oh, okay. Uh, is that okay, Allyson? That Patricia continues the tour? I do actually have some filing to catch up on-"

"Oh, yeah, Nancy. It's totally okay!" Ally assured a little too enthusiastically. She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks anyway for the majority of it. I really, uh, enjoyed it." Ally figured Trish wanted a word even if it was an angry one, she'd do anything to be done with this snore fest.

"Vamoose, Fitz." Trish was already pulling Ally away in the other direction down the hall, waving a quick good-bye to a 'deer-caught-in-headlights' Nancy.

"Uhm, Trish. Why did you just do that?" Ally had to ask. She thought the girl hated her.

"Don't read too much into it, newbie. I just happen to pity anyone who has to get their ears chatted off by little Miss Goody-Two-Shoes over there. Nancy can probably make a nun swear with her persistence and intensity."

She didn't need to tell Ally twice.

"Well, thanks any way. And you don't really have to continue the tour or anything; I think I can get around here just fine without-"

Trish quirked her eyebrow at her and pulled to a stop. "Who said anything about continuing the tour? Do I _look_ like I'm part of Coast-Waters welcoming committee to you?"

Ally just blinked in her direction, not finding words. Jeez, she was so brazen. Trish didn't even look like she should be high school but in a bar somewhere, picking a fight.

"No, you're not that stupid." She began to walk again. "I'm going to have lunch, and you can choose to join me since you've already been seen associating with me, no one is likely to be as merciful. So move it or lose it, Allyson."

"It's Ally."

"Whatever."

Ally was still processing how this day had taken such weird turns so quickly when they reached a table in the outside courtyard eating area. It was large and bright, filled with lots of hungry babbling students. Metal circular picnic benches littered the lawn as well as trees for shade. Ally took a seat across from Trish who was already digging into a sandwich she pulled out, not looking like she cared whether Ally sat or left. She didn't understand her. God, this school and the kids in it were so different from what she grew up with. Not only just Trish and Avery and everyone else Ally has met so far, but even all the ones she watched in the courtyard. It was very clique-y, she realized, as she bit into her own sandwich. Everyone had their own groups and was divided; whether done subconsciously or not. Her old school had its segregations because, come on, what high school doesn't But at least there, people weren't as rude as they seemed here at Coast-Waters. What the hell was in the Kool-Aid here in Bay Beach?

"Stop staring, it's rude."

Trish was looking down at her phone without even looking at Ally as she spoke. She fisted her hands in attempting control. There was only so much Ally could take and it was part of the reason people found her 'unapproachable'. Ally was used to people being assertive and somewhat respected it but she didn't like when people became overly bossy. And so far, it was all Trish had done. If she was going to hang around her at all, things had to be set down if it was going to work for her. If Trish didn't like what she had to say, then Ally wasn't going to waste her time making a useless friendship. So she took a risk. Better now than down the road.

"Stop snapping at me, Trish. I've only met you today and you've already bitten my head off more than once. Ease up a bit, alright? First days are hard enough."

Trish finally looked up at Ally, surprised that probably someone dared to challenge her. At first, Ally thought Trish was going to just laugh in her face and wish her luck on trying to find anyone else who would associate with her. Maybe even out her in front of all the other kids around them. A small part of her was hoping she wouldn't because in a weird way, she really liked Trish and how she didn't take any bullshit. She reminded Ally of herself, but with an even smaller tolerance level. With baited breath, Ally waiting for Trish to snap at her again and walk away but to her surprise, Trish had a strange unfamiliar look of sympathy in her eyes but soon, she smiled devilishly and wagged at finger in Ally's direction.

"I like you. I don't like your tone, but I like you."

Ally made a small sound of relief. She was expected a horrible reaction due to how Trish has been acting so far. But she guessed showing you weren't a submissive nobody was what impressed her. _Good_, Ally thought. _At least something is going my way today._

Ally straightened her shoulders proudly and Trish miffed a laugh. They continued to eat and Ally—to observe—as well. As she was busy scanning, she noticed Avery and a larger group of her friends sitting on the table in the centre of the eating area, surrounded by a typical myriad of beach-boy looking jocks. Avery in all her glory was hilarious for Ally since she looked so cliché, it was vomit-inducing. Sitting with her nose turned up and her lip curled like whatever she was talking about to her drones wasn't even worth her time. Ugh, she was so arrogant. Sitting right behind her was a good-looking boy with short sandy brown hair and a wife beater that showed off his nice toned arms. He was laughing with another two boys standing in front of him wearing red varsity jackets.

"Ah, so I see you've notice the top of the food chain. Sadly typical, isn't it? That the jocks and the pretty little rich girls run the jungle?" Trish theatrically clucked her tongue in mock disappointment.

"That Avery…She's, uh…she something." That was all Ally could really come up with without being pretty forward.

Trish didn't have that problem. "She's a straight up bitch, like you've already witnessed. And don't try and deny that that wasn't what you wanted to say because no one other than me would better appreciate such a comment."

Ally straightened in her seat. She was a bit cautious but Trish didn't seem the type who would go around telling people Ally said anything. Matter of fact, Trish didn't look the type to go around people for anything at all. "Yeah, she was way out of order this morning. What is that girl's deal, anyway?"

Trish merely shrugged her shoulders and folded her arms up behind her head. "Beats me. Chick's been 'holier-than-thou' with a stick up her ass since first grade."

Ally snorted at Trish's comments. She didn't sound so much like she resented Avery or was jealous, like someone might have expected. No, Trish just seemed like a 'don't-give-two-shits' kind of girl who was merely observing someone who's attitude and personality she didn't care at all for. She was getting the feeling that Trish had the reputation of being very unapproachable because she really didn't care for being approached in the first place. She enjoyed looking on from the outside.

Ally gave her attention back to Trish and saw her grimace and make a disgusted noise in her throat. "For Christ's sake, would you look at Spencer Strait. That kid really doesn't value his genitalia and future children if he's choosing to continuously cat-call that walking 'No-Man's Zone.'"

Ally was confused completely by then and didn't know what Trish was more or less talking to herself about, so she peered over in the direction Trish was looking. She saw the guy with the short brown hair she was looking at before, who she assumed was the Spencer Strait Trish was talking about, since he and his friends were in fact cat-calling some girl from a few tables down from them. Ally took in the very pretty, but very agitated looking blonde girl who wore a leather jacket and thick combat boots under her denim shorts. She looked younger than Ally but way more experienced, in all forms. Her faced was turned to the other people at her table that seemed to be dressed similar—_biker chic_, Ally guessed— and trying to look like she didn't hear Spencer. But Ally could tell that the girl was fully aware Spencer was trying to get her attention and she was looking thoroughly annoyed by it. Spencer seemed to be getting rowdier as his friends were encouraging him further.

"Looking sexy today, Ari! Why don't you come here and talk to me for a minute?" Spencer called to her.

The girl, Ari, looked like she was clenching her jaw and her friends were all looking at her like they knew what was going to happen next. Suddenly, the girl stood up like she was going to go over there and knock him out. But as she turned toward Spencer, she plastered a perfectly fake smile on her face and began to walk to him. His friends started making 'Oohh' noises and Ally noticed Avery was rolling her eyes. The girl reached him and he was grinning like a complete and oblivious doofus to his friends as he stood up.

"Ooo, he's such a complete dipshit! Like doesn't he know who she is? This should be classic." Trish muttered in an excited manner that made Ally think she should have popcorn to enjoy it further.

"What? What's going on, what's happening? She doesn't look pissed-"

"Shhh! This is the best part!"

A hush fell over the entire eating area as most students were silently watching the show before them. The girl reached Spencer by then and looked like she was pure seduction with the glint in her eyes. Ally even thought that she might kiss him or something. But as Spencer reached out to grab her hips and pull her to him, her smile became sinister and she quickly snatched his right wrist off her waist in a vice grip and twisted it until he yelped in pain.

"Ahhh!"

The girl Ari didn't release him, but instead pulled him close to whisper something unintelligible in his ear as he tried to wiggle out of her hold. She was a thin little thing and it was surprising he looked like he was struggling so hard. His friends all around him were quietly muffling there hysterics while Avery and the others did the same on the opposite side of the table. No one dared to move and help.

Ari released him with a shove of his entire arm that caused him to trip and fall, and she just turned to walk away. Spencer was rubbing his wrist vigorously and was completely flushed, glaring curses in her direction.

"You're a frigid little bitch, Ariadne Moon!"

But Ariadne just picked up her things from her table and her and her friends made their way out of the courtyard, without her turning to give one glance back at Spencer; though a few of her friends shot pretty meaningful death daggers with their eyes. At that point his friends were practically rolling on the ground from their amount of laughter.

Trish turned to Ally, looking very entertained. "That. Was. _Fantastic._ I love when people are stupid enough to provoke the Covenant kids. _Especially_ Ariadne Moon. Ha!"

Ally was so far behind, it was insane. Who was Ariadne Moon? Who were the Covenant kids? And why did everyone except Spencer seem to be so cautious of them?

What in the name of God was _up_ with this school…?

"Uh, Trish? Mind catching me up? What the hell just happened? Who was that girl?"

Trish was still quietly laughing to herself. "Oh, man. That was priceless." Then she lolled her head towards Ally's gaze. " You've picked the _quaintest _little county to move to, haven't you?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm and she sighed like explaining to Ally was going to be hard work. "Let's just say Ariadne comes from a very long line of people in this town that you never, under any circumstances, want to mess with. Unless you an idiot like Strait over there." She cleared her throat and picked at the left over crusts of her sandwich. "Deadwood County is known for its territory rights to two big biker clubs. And Ari's family and the rests of those kids' that were sitting with her are all in the local club right here in town, called _Deadwood Covenant_. It's supposed to be harmless or whatever, like they swear they just have a club for the love of the bike culture, but _everyone_ in town chooses to turn a blind eye at the fact that the club is highly involved in bad, illegal stuff. Probably everyone knows they'll get killed if they come sniffing around. But we all know the truth: They run _everything_ you can't see." Trish smirked like she was attempted to freak out Ally. But she had a completely real feeling than not one word she said was exaggerated. "It's been around for a long time and its members are kind of prestigious around these parts. But none have a bigger reputation than the Moon family."

"Moon? Like Ariadne?"

"Ohhhh, yah. Her Daddy-O is the top dog of the club. He's a pretty intimidating guy, let me tell you. And Ari's brother, Austin?" Trish let out a whistle. "Damn, that boy has got the worst rap sheet of them all. If you were to leave Bay Beach tomorrow with knowing about only one thing, it would be him. He's the baddest, angriest, deadliest thing in Deadwood County. He scares even me, and that is nearly impossible to do." Trish widened her eyes at Ally that made her believe Trish was telling the truth. "He's only 20 and the guy has more scandalous rumors going around than TMZ. Honestly, ask anyone here. Except not Avery and her droids, they'll just tell you how sexy he is and how they all claim to have slept with him. Especially Avery."

"Oh my God," was all Ally's brain could manage to corroborate. _Where did she move to!?_

Trish had a slight set of concern to her brow. "Welcome to the _true_ Bay Beach, Fresh Meat."

* * *

**After School...**

Ally still couldn't believe everything Trish had told her at lunch time. It was a lot to get her head around. When she said she had a feeling Bay Beach was different, she didn't expect something like this. Was this town even safe to be in, if everything Trish was telling her was true? The 'under-the-table' networking, the drug dealing, the smuggling of fire arms, and all the big rivalries that comes with it? It was practically a battle ground. Ally decided then and there—as she made her way through the huge crowds to her convertible at the end of her first school day, that Trish was thoroughly insane and that was exactly why no one seemed to hang around her. She had to be; because there was no way that she was telling the truth about something that could intimidate Ally like that and not be crazy. She had perfect reason to do so to; Ally was ignorant to Bay Beach and doesn't know anything about it. Why wouldn't someone try to make up scary things about it? But on the other hand, Trish couldn't have possibly made up all of that stuff on the spot. As scared as she was to admit it, she knew there was some truth to it. Like the fact that there was an actual club. Ally saw some of them on her way into town for the first time. She could still see those thick red letters on the leather vests: _Deadwood Covenant. _

Shaking it from her mind since there was no point on dwelling on something that would never in a million years involve her, she continued to discreetly push and shove her way towards her car. She had said goodbye to Trish, who had hung out with her for the rest of the day and at the end, had surprisingly given her cell number to contact her if she wanted. (She assured Ally that she never gives it to anyone and Ally should consider herself blessed and lucky). Besides all the stuff that had happened so far, Ally was okay with the outcome of the day and was ready to get into her classes tomorrow. As long as she avoided the drama that seemed to envelop this place, she should be okay for the rest of the year.

Ally dug through her purse in search for her keys when she heard the familiar sound of bike motors revving what seemed not even 10 feet away from her. Sure enough, she looked up to see two black on black cycles part the parking lot's masses like the Red Sea. Ally, who was now at her car (and thanking God Avery's gaudy Escalade had already left), was frozen as everything that Trish had said today came flooding back to her.

She stiffly watched as the two bikes pulled up beside a large black Jeep parked only a few spaces away from her, where all of Ariadne and her group were assembled. Against her better judgement, out of complete curiosity, Ally who was pretending to busy herself with putting her key into her car door, continued to discretely look on to the small secluded cluster of kids from beneath her lashes. The first rider had a helmet that didn't have a visor so she could see his face clearly. He had floppy ginger hair and a light spread of endearing freckles across his cheekbones and nose. He looked harmless at first glance but there was something about him that let Ally sense that he wouldn't think twice to knock your lights out if you wronged him in anyway. Ariadne embraced him in a tight hug and Ally wondered if this was the infamous and terrifying Austin Trish was talking about. If it was, she knew that Trish was completely off her rocker because for the most part, he really did look harmless.

The second rider, who did have a helmet with a visor, took it off and shook out his blonde hair as Ariadne turned to him with a bright smile and hugged him harder than the first guy. There was no denying it then. This had to be her brother, it had to. They looked so related it was scary. But goodness, he was…he looked…

_This was the Austin Trish told her about. _

Ally snapped out of her gawking, suddenly going ram rod stiff, and didn't realize that she had dropped her keys or had caught her breath so roughly that she momentarily couldn't breathe either. Her feet seem to have become firmly planted to the spot she was standing on by her car door but no matter how badly her mind was saying to jump in her car and go home, her eyes couldn't seem to look away from the sight in front of her.

She was close to him, so incredibly close; she could practically smell the sweat and motor oil mixed with something woodsy coming off of him. He had bright, glowing blonde hair, just like his sister's—that was unkempt and wild. He had pieces stuck to his forehead with sweat and to Ally, it made him look even more attractive. Her mouth went dry. His features were the epitome of everything masculine; sharp edges, strong sexy jaw line, plump red lips—set in a determined straight line— that looked like they've seen many others and have blown them all away with their skill. And his eyes, dark and brown, seemed to hold so many secrets but at the same time, a light that was mischievous and challenging. A shiver ran down Ally's spine that she inwardly cursed and quickly snapped herself back to reality to take control of her body. She bent down to pick up her keys but as she rose and tried to put them back in the key hole, she continued to miss the target due to the shaking of her hands. What the bloody hell was happening to her? Was she swooning!? Over this supposed lunatic? _But Trish never said he was so…_And with that temptation in her head, she couldn't help but sneak another guilty look at this captivating but dangerous boy. He was still straddling his bike, a beauty of one, with black skinny jeans that hugged his muscular thighs, which flexed and gripped the bike in a stand tightly. His sister had jumped on behind him with a smaller helmet placed on her head as she talked to his friend beside him while Austin leaned forward slightly and played around with something on his gears. _Get in your car and drive away, you idiot!_ But Ally just continued to stare, against her better judgement. He wore a tight black beater tank that involuntarily caused her mouth to dry again with the way it showed off the contours of his abdomen and the cording muscles along his long biceps and forearms…

Then it finally hit her. What was she doing? How long has she been staring?! Why was she ogling him? If what she heard was true, this guy was _insanely _dangerous and she needed to get out of there. Pronto.

But it was too late. As she finally got her motor skills to agree with the sane part of head and sunk her key into the door to open it, she tossed her bag in and cursed herself as she decided to give him one last look before she drove away and convinced her dad to book it out of this town the first chance they got.

But as she slowly looked at him again, she regretted it right away. She was met with his deep brown hot intense gaze that froze her even worse than she was before. It seemed that he had already seen her and by the looks of it, was intently studying her before she even noticed. She was completely intimidated. He narrowed his eyes on her and it was like she was entranced. He didn't look pleased or inviting or even slightly approachable. Everything about his posture, expression, aura, said to not even dare come near him. He was dangerous and she knew it. But despite everything that told her he was unimpressed by her and that she should high tail it out of there, he gave her a slow, languid and incredibly hot once over that felt like an intimate caress on Ally's skin. It struck pure cold, hard fear deep in her body. But she didn't miss how it also ignited something else.

He looked extremely lethal and absolutely terrifying. His eyes had darkened an incredible amount she had noted and Ally didn't even know if she was breathing any more His mouth that she was admiring not only two seconds before was now pursed in the most perturbed line. His eyebrows suddenly furrowed and a vein in his neck seemed to throb.

He parted his lips, like he might say something to her and Ally's heartbeat quickened. She didn't know if it was fear or anticipation.

But then he flipped her off and turned away.

Ally spluttered, completely and utterly caught off guard. Horrified and not to mention thoroughly embarrassed, Ally gasped and quickly stumbled into her car like she had just surfaced back from a high. She shoved her key into the ignition and peeled out of the parking lot faster than she had ever driven before in her life.

And as she drove down the streets of Bay Beach totally mortified, she not only thought of how she hadn't been in this town for even a week, and she'd seen and heard enough drama to last her a lifetime.

She cursed her body as it shook from…anxiety? Adrenaline? She didn't know…But what sat in the pit of her stomach wrenching was the constant reiteration of what was it about her that caused everyone's first impression of her today to be a bad one.

But most especially the terrifying boy—no, _man_—that made her forget herself.

**A/N: Did you think Austin would react like that? **

**And Don't kill me! Don't worry, the next chapter is when it all goes down. **

**I hope you like it so far and aren't bored!**


	6. Wrong Time,Wrong Place PART I

**A/N: This is for the author, psychncislover, because of the incredible things she has said and done since my last update! :) She is sick in bed with the flu and needs a pick me up. I hope you enjoy most of all and get better soon!**

**This was originally one massive chapter but it was too big, so I decided to make it into two parts. Oh, and whatever happens, don't be confused… BEAR WITH ME! IT WILL HAPPEN:) **

**And don't be a silent reader! Please REVIEW, it would help a lot! **

**-B**

**Ally's POV:**

_Oh my god. _

_Ohmygod, ohmygod! What the _**fuck **_is going on?! I'm SO DEAD! Oh no, oh no oh no…_

I clasped my hands over my mouth to mask my cry of horror and struggled to lift my body and make a move to run back to the party.

But I couldn't. I couldn't move a single muscle.

In a matter of seconds, my life had flipped on its head.

All because I was too stupid to stay with the crowd.

All because I wandered off to the wrong place at the wrong time.

…and because I saw him go to pull the trigger.

And that's when I was roughly seized from behind; dragged out of the darkness and into the open.

_I'm going to die. _

**_One Day before…_**

**No POV**

"Hey, Ally, turn that up louder, would ya?"

Ally stretched her arm into her car and turned the stereo up higher, as Trish had asked. Once it was sufficient enough, she went back to lying out on her back across the hood of her Bel-Air in the crammed student parking lot of Coast-Waters, soaking in the beautiful sun-rays that constantly seemed to bathe Bay Beach. Trish was sat up cross-legged beside her, idly painting her nails fire truck red. She did so on her back pack so she didn't splat Ally's car by accident. It was now Thursday—a week yesterday since she had her first day, and if someone were to approach her then and say she'd be on very close speaking terms with Trish Della Rosa and have a mutual liking for each other in only the matter of a week, she'd say they were batshit crazy.

Her first impression of Trish wasn't a fairly good one, seeming as the five foot nothing spitfire was adamant about telling her off and constantly speaking her mind, _sans _a filter. Ally thought back to that first day last week and remembered listening to her speak about all the scary things that happens in Deadwood County behind everyone's back, and thinking that Trish was an introvert because she was undoubtedly insane.

But oh how Ally was very wrong.

And good lord, going home to her father that first night was extremely tough. She was so shaken up from the radical change in high school scenery she had just shocked her system with, not to mention the encounter with the dark stranger who turned out to be supposedly the county's most wanted. She involuntarily shuttered at the memory. Even a week later, the look he had in his eyes—cold, deadly, intimidating—still made her skin crawl. He was by far the scariest person she had ever laid eyes on and she was sure she would never forget him. He was like a dark angel; all pristine beauty but surrounded by dark shadows. It was the very thing that made her speed home that afternoon and almost tell her dad that they should probably pack up the car and leave while they still had everything in boxes.

Almost.

But she didn't. For one, her father would think she was just making up stories to get them to go back to Maine. And second, she wasn't a coward. She didn't run because she heard a bunch of dangerous rumours or saw an intimidating boy who made very rude gestures at her for no reason, or even because the plastic-like girls already seemed to have a vendetta on her head. No, she found out the facts first and then evaluated her standpoint rationally and logically.

But despite that, it didn't mean she wasn't fully entitled to still be afraid, and a little cautiously paranoid. So that night, she decided not to say a word to her father and instead, mildly freaked out in silence while telling him of the great day she had at school. And when she was finished, he told her of his first day at the hospital. He told her over dinner have much he loved the atmosphere there and how excited he was to be settled in, to get the chance to know his patients properly. She was very happy for him. But the following day when Ally went to school again, a horrible, terrible feeling was just sitting in her gut and she didn't like the frequency it seemed to be occurring at.

She made damn sure to stay the hell away from Avery Drake and anyone else's path she crossed wrongly as she did not want a repeat of the day before. But when, (to her surprise) Trish found her in the hallway and walked to their shared first period, hesitant Ally knew then that Trish had took a liking to her, which made her more comfortable and reassured. Although, Ally had too many questions about this town that needed answers, and with them hanging like a sword above her, she'd never truly by comforted. So since Trish was the one who put all the notions in her head in the first place, she assumed she would be the best person to approach on the subject. Not to mention she was the only person really talking to her. But she wasn't really confident with Trish, not yet.

So that weekend, after Ally's short week had ended and she had been attending class for two days, she decided to really unpack all of her belongings and set up her bedroom. And she asked Trish to come over and help. At first, she was tentative about asking Trish to tell her about all the things that were truly bugging her, but once she got enough nerve to do so, Trish wouldn't shut up about it.

According to Trish, _Deadwood Covenant_ had been a functioning biker 'group' in Bay Beach since 1941 and was started by Austin's grandfather, Atticus Moon, who broke off from another gang _Hell's Fury _that was stationed in Rose Hill, which was the next town over. Since then, it grew huge and influential. Trish told her how the rivalry between the two gangs was pretty serious. Since their alliances and dealings with other associates constantly clashed, many outbreaks and mysterious shootings happened all the time. Everyone seemed to be mindful of it but didn't try and get involved. It was something the people of Deadwood County try to let roll of their shoulders and think twice about before they stick their noses where they don't belong.

And that's how it was for the rest of the weekend. It was like once Ally opened the dam known as Trish; she didn't stop and kept going and going. She told her about all the families involved; all their kids that Ally saw on her first day at school, about the massive drug mulling and sales, about the random bodies that were sometimes found washing up on the beaches…

Ally was thoroughly freaked by the end of their discussion and Trish could tell. Trish didn't mean to make Ally feel like she moved to a war zone, but she didn't want her to not know the reality of it all and get hurt by accident. Trish had seen it happen to too many curious people and she be damned before she sees Ally, an innocent girl, get screwed over too. For some odd reason, she had a strong liking towards Ally. Something about her seemed really strong and tough but at the same time, almost vulnerable.

"Listen Ally…Deadwood County isn't perfect; **_far_** from it," Trish solemnly told her as they sat on Ally's green bedspread late Saturday night, a pizza box and many revealing words placed between them. "But as long as you keep your eyes on your own business and don't cross the wrong people, you'll be fine. Nobody bothers the ones that aren't threats. It's more the people like Avery who go around asking for attention. So just be cautious." Trish then gave her a stern look and spoke in the most serious voice she had that entire night. "Especially Austin. I mean it Ally, he's **_dangerous_**and you're so fragile. And after what you told me of your first sight of him, I-…Just be careful. I don't want to see you get hurt too."

"But if everyone knows all of this, why does no one tell the police? Can't they stop it from happening?"

Trish actually laughed but then composed herself when she saw Ally's shocked face." Oh you were serious?" She scoffed like what I asked was absurd."Ally, the cops can't do anything about it, no matter how much they are very aware of it. One, their too scared, and two, half of them are dirty and working for the gangs anyway." Trish sighed.

"Ally, what you need to realize is that everyone here and in Rose Hill know everything about **_everything_**. But the cops will never catch them on anything legit and even then, no one will ever testify if they value their lives and the ones of the people they love. This town is **_theirs_**, Ally, and you just need to stay out of their way."

Ally just nodded and gulped. She looked shocked, nervous, and just all out spooked. How can people live like this?

That Sunday Trish helped Ally to get her mind off of all the scary and depressing things and lent a hand to finish unpacking. But once she saw how worried she made Ally, she decided that she wanted to show her that Bay Beach wasn't as bad a place as she was painting in Ally's head. So she took a hesitant Ally to all the cool and relatively safe places in town that she enjoyed; the beach, the board-walk at Wicker Pier, the theatre, the strip, her favourite frozen yoghurt place… and soon, Trish began to see Ally slowly ease up again and begin to enjoy herself as well as all the other things that Bay Beach had to offer. Trish was beginning to really grow on Ally as Ally was on Trish.

And that was how they got to where there were presently. They were currently lounging around in the lot like everyone else who decided to chill before heading out for the long weekend. School was over early for the week since there was a civic holiday on the Friday. As usual, people flooded the lot doing their own thing and it still was taking Ally a while to adjust to that... Coast-Waters was a lot to handle.

God, has her past week been radically different than what she had expected. When she first got into to town last week, Ally thought right away that she'd hate it and that she would never get to a point when she would really be comfortable. Then after the weekend she had with Trish, she was even more so convinced about that notion and was even worried to the point that she didn't want to leave her house when Monday morning came around. She sat up that entire night, rolling over and over in her head all the things Trish had relayed to her and if she was going to tuck her tail and run or take Trish's advice and just keep her head on straight.

_"Don't get mixed up with the wrong people, know what you're doing and if it's the _best thing_ you should be doing…" _Ally remembered, Trish's voice echoing in her head.

It was settled. Ally was a big girl and she could take care of herself. She would just have to be cautious is all.

She was never good with change, or at least she thought so since it didn't happen too often with her. In all honesty, once Ally got past all the things she now knew about Deadwood County, she had surprisingly come to find that Bay Beach wasn't that bad.

She'd forgotten how much she truly enjoyed the sun and its warmth on her skin, and here in Florida, it was a constant. She loved being able to just be outside on her porch or by the board-walk for hours on end and not feel the need to go inside at all. She and Trish had grown very close over the past week, hanging out around town after school, trying to loosen the new found tenseness that seemed to shape Ally's shoulders. They have both loosened up with one other, although Trish was still snappish from time to time. Ally came to see that it was part of her natural charm and even from time to time found it endearing.

"Ally, sit up." Trish lightly tapped against Ally's naked thigh, exposed from her small Jean shorts. "Don't look now, but David Wate hasn't taken his eyes off your general direction for the past 15 minutes." Ally groggily sat up on the hood of her car and saw Trish smirking in the direction of a large crowd.

"What? David Wate? You mean the guy on the soccer team?" Ally vaguely remembered him from her math class. She squinted in the bright light to see the tall and slender frame of David beside a line of cars and a whole group of his friends. He pushed his curly black hair from his eyes as he looked at Ally with a genuine 'varsity-boy' smile. She could feel a traitorous flush creep up on her cheeks.

"Correction: The super hot captain of the soccer team, who is currently grinning at you like a freak. I don't _ever_ approve of anyone's looks at this school— and I mean _ever_—but he's a rare exception. He's totally got the whole Clark Kent thing going on…"

Before Ally could laugh or think anything of it, she shook her head in disagreement and rationalized, "I doubt he's looking at me, Trish. He's probably looking at this crowd of juniors squealing a few cars down from us." She gestured lazily in their general vicinity of the obnoxious younger girls with her hand and lay back down on the hood, throwing her arm over her eyes to guard them from the harsh sunlight.

"Oh yeah," Trish spoke, suddenly sounding really omniscient and smug. "You're _definitely_ right. My mistake, carry on." She chuckled under her breath suspiciously that made Ally pull her hand back slightly just to glance up at her.

"What are you laughi-"

"Hey, it's Allyson, right?" A rich and deep masculine voice suddenly interrupted Ally.

She sat up quickly to see David standing right in front of her, smiling that same boyish smile from before. This time, she knew for sure it was directed at her and it suddenly made her self-conscious. She cut a look quickly to Trish who was snickering into her hand, probably from the stunned look currently on Ally's face.

Ally looked back at David who was now appraising her with his eyebrows raised. She then remembered he had asked her a question and was waiting for an answer.

"Uh, yeah. It's Ally, actually. And you're David, right?" Ally cleared her throat.

He hung his thumbs from the loops on the front of his jeans, unconsciously straining his biceps against his dark blue t-shirt, and rocked back on his heels. He smirked this time, as if he was glad Ally knew who he was.

"Yeah, that's me." Ally blinked twice, still speechless. "So, how's Bay Beach treating you?"

Trish snorted rather loudly from Ally's side at the inside hilarity of that question, which Ally quickly ignored.

He looked at Trish amused. "That good, huh?"

"It's great," she cut in, speaking the half-truth. " I'm just still trying to settle in, get to know everything and everyone better, you know…"

David nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah, that's understandable when you're new in town. But I think I know the quickest way to help you with the whole 'getting to know everyone better' situation…" He trailed off, his eyes playful.

She quirked an eyebrow at his unexpected flirtiness and attempted to counter it. "Oh, really? What do you suggest?"

He grinned. " I'm having a party tomorrow and if you come, it would be a beneficial experience for your social life. Not to mention," He then looked up at her from underneath his long dark lashes and lowered his voice, "I would very much like it if you did." His eyes twinkled, challenging her to accept. It made Ally nervous, but in a good way. And blush; definitely blush.

_Wait, a party?! Me, invited? That's never happened before…What would I wear? What wou-_

" I'm not taking no for an answer, so it's settled. Its starts at 10." He began to turn away but then stopped, and called back to her from over his shoulder. "Oh, and Ally?"

She managed to make her brain somewhat function only momentarily, answering with, "Um, yeah?"

"Wear something pretty." He winked at her and then sauntered off back in the direction he came.

Ally's mouth popped open in surprise while her eyes remained wide. She didn't know what to say. She was flattered obviously, but a party? She watched him walk away and then looked back at Trish who had a grin on her face that could rival the Cheshire cat's.

" Wasn't looking at you, right?" She said arrogantly, Ally now realizing why she was acting so smug. "Puh-lease. David Wate's parties are always the biggest and craziest. And you have just been _personally_ _invited_ by the man himself. Damn, maybe I should give the whole 'innocent-and-doesn't-know-their-sexy-potential' approach a go. Seems to work for you."

That startlingly caught Ally's attention more than anything, causing her to laugh out loud at the absurdity. "What?" she giggled. "I am anything but sexy, Trish." She was just an average looking girl, nothing special. She knew she wasn't horrible to look at but compared to others, she was always mediocre. "I still can't believe that just happened. I didn't even think he knew who I was let alone want to have me at his party. Should we go?" She questioned, wary.

"Hell yes we're going, don't be stupid!" Trish slid off the hood of the Bel-Air, dusting her jeans off and blowing over her freshly painted nails. "And don't give me that modesty speech. You're super hot, Ally; trust me, and you can be even better if you put in a little more effort than toddler dresses." Ally rolled her eyes at the comment. "And a lot of the people here know how hot you are too. Why would Clark Kent's long lost twin be flirting with you if you weren't?"

Ally was doubtful regardless. She sighed deeply. She glanced back over the lot to see it was starting to clear out, so she packed up her bag and hopped off the hood as well.

"Come on, let's go." She had at least until tomorrow to decide if she really wanted to go or not.

As they sat in the car and Ally began to pull out, she noticed that Trish was analysing her, and then that grin that said she was up to no good curled her lips.

"What?" Ally knew this couldn't be good.

"You know what this means, right?" Ally shook her head no, eyes still fixed on the road as they started moving away from the school. "Shopping! You and me. And we're going to find you something so hot that David will be tossing people out just for looking at you. It's time for you to relax and have a good time, shesh."

Ally guessed that she was going now, whether she liked it or not. _Great. _

**_Friday Night, 11: 47 pm… _**

The blaring electronic music could probably be heard from 5 blocks away in any direction. The thump of the bass was low and powerful. The overlapping beats that were synchronizing together made sound waves strong enough to pulsate in Ally's chest from her slight distance away. It was late; a warm night, and by the looks of the amount of people walking the streets like her and Trish, towards the packed house—the party was in full swing without any sign of stopping.

Cars absolutely littered the sides of the roads, parked sloppy and crooked over curbs and neighbouring driveways. They lined up and down the block, around the bend, and most likely down the opposite street. Ally thought that there couldn't possibly just be people hear from Bay Beach; the numbers were too large. When Trish said David's parties were wild and crazy, Ally never anticipated something as radical as this. They had to park Trish's car (since she had offered to drive) almost 2 blocks away and were walking the rest. David lived in a very rich gated community that all the homes backed onto the beach with full private access. The houses were bigger than Ally had ever seen and his so happened to be situated right at the end of the street on one of the largest properties of them all. Insanely vast, blindingly white, and lit up like Times Square, the place was teeming and crawling with people. The monumental front lawn itself wasn't even visible due to the gigantic crowd occupying it and as Ally drew closer, the reality of it was becoming just that; a reality. She grew nervous but excited at the same time.

"This is going to be epic." Trish uttered while linking her arm with Ally's and interrupting her thoughts.

She watched Trish's dark Smokey-eyed gaze lock on to the theatrical show that was David's house with mischievous promise. She was dressed in red leather leggings and black heels that she matched with a flowy sheer black tank top that had a large rhinestoned cross on it. Her cardigan slightly billowed behind her as it picked up in the wind as did her dark curly hair, that she let left loose and wild. Just like her. Ally had to admit that Trish was excellent at doing make-up as the girl looked stunningly fierce and alluring with her darkly accented eyes. Together, they had spent the entire afternoon and most of the evening trapped in Ally's bedroom, who was being done up like a perfect little doll by Trish who insisted Ally let her have free reign. Ever since Ally told her it was her first real big party, Trish had taken full control, insisting she would make her look like a total rocket.

Ally didn't mind so much since Trish seemed experienced in this kind of scene and god only knows what Ally would have worn if she didn't have her. She did mildly object however at what Trish had chosen when they went shopping. She tried it on to appease her but it wasn't like anything she would usually wear. It was revealing and provocative...and apparently made for her. Trish seemed to have loved it so much on her, saying how she would make David and anyone for that matter, cry when they saw it on her, that they didn't even consider anything else.

When she told her father she was going to a party, he was surprised and glad of course, but also very vigilant. He wasn't use to her going out often, especially places where there was drinking and most likely drugs. Being a doctor, he has seen a lot and is very protective of her safety, but trusts her to be the smart young woman he raised her to be.

"Watch my baby, Trish." He told her when they were about to leave Ally's house to go to the party. "Don't let her go to wild, or else I'll have both of you on house arrest until you graduate."

"No sweat, Dr. D. I got it covered." And with that, he just looked at Ally sternly, silently warning her. She hates to disappoint or worry her father.

Finally reaching the property line to the house and nudging entrance into the large mass of bodies, Ally all of a sudden felt very conscientious of herself. Her small black spaghetti strap dress clung to her curves like paint, making her feel almost naked. It barely passed her indecent parts and the neckline was far too revealing for her liking. She tugged her hands at the lapels of her small cropped leather jacket, pulling them in closer to attempt at covering her more. It didn't really work. The small chains that dangled from the shoulders of her jacket clinked on the small spikes adorned on it as well. Her make-up was outrageous compared to anything she had ever really attempted but she secretly liked how her eyes really seemed to pop and how her new booties made her at least 4 inches taller. The music at this distance was obscenely loud and pounded through Ally ears and into her skull.

As she looked over all the many faces she didn't know that were giving her strange looks, a selfish and irrational part of herself curiously looked for someone in particular, wondering if he went to young and typical social gatherings like this or was he above all that?.. In that moment, she pretended that he wasn't who she was told he was. Thinking about it all like she didn't know the truth was honestly just easier. She was even picturing his flawless tanned skin and mysterious eyes until she really caught herself getting carried away and was instantly ashamed. She straightened her back as she pushed on through with Trish. She should know better. Trish had warned her already about what this town was like and what it did to people who got mixed up. She couldn't be stupid like that, mulling over absurd ideas like him being here. Like he would even pay her any mind anyway, after the way he reacted last time. God, she must have appalled him. Ally let the sting of that go. She had come to relax and have fun and that's what she was going to do.

"Let's turn some heads." Trish spoke enthusiastically as she tugged a disoriented Ally across the threshold. Ally laughed breathlessly in response, and then quickly found herself sucking her breath in sharply, stunned by what she saw.

"Oh, wow."

The inside of David's house was high, lavish and dripping with wealth, although it seemed to have been vacated of all major furniture to make room for a big dance floor. Bodies intertwined and mingled all around her; dancing, grinding, conversing, gossiping. A hazy cloud slightly lingered over the mob, and even though Ally hadn't ever tried drugs, she knew what weed smelled like. It was rowdy and boisterous all around, not to mention really humid despite the attempt to cool the place down by opening every door and window in sight, letting in the salty ocean air. There was just so much body heat being produced.

"Let's get a drink!" Trish offered loudly over the thunderous noise, and Ally nodded gladly.

The two of them slowly made their way to the kitchen. They reared the hall corner and entered the big kitchen filled with tons of drunken girls cheering on what looked to be a group of boys funneling.

"Allyyyyy! You came!" Ally came up short when she heard her name being loudly slurred from some random direction within the kitchen and searched around to see its source. She jerked sideways to see David stagger in through the sliding doors from the back deck. His hair was messy, clothes disheveled and had a spaced out goofy look on his face as he sized her up. She waved meekly at him and gave him a small smile as he walked right up to her and Trish.

Trish squeezed her shoulder quickly while speaking in her ear. "I'm going to grab a hot guy and get my flirt on. Find me late when you're done," she winked.

David catching somewhat of what she said, added, "Yeah, go wild! Enjoy! You can even go down to the beach if you want; the party is so live down there!" Ally looked him over and listened to the breathy tone in his voice. Yeah, he had definitely been drinking for a while now. He didn't seem too far gone though.

Trish gave her a reassuring smile, telling her to relax and just go with it before taking a deep gulp of her drink and walking out another exit in the kitchen. She knew Trish wouldn't be too far away but Ally was still a little apprehensive of being left alone, not likely the unfamiliarity around her. She needed to stop being so paranoid and suspicious, so she turned to David who had gone and returned with a beer for her in his hand.

"Here ya go. Drink up." He cheesed playfully at her with a wink; his inhibitions by this point in the night were loose and boundless. But he was cute, in a very messy way.

"Thanks." She grabbed it from his offering hand and took a tentative sip of the cool liquid, the sensation soothing as it went down her dry throat. It was if his lagging senses were just registering how she looked and he took her in, eyes traveling up and down before smiling wickedly and drawing closer to her. She could smell his breath was heavy with the stench of hard liquor as it washed over face as he leaned closer and closer to her.

"You look so good, Ally. Better than I imagined." He rasped near her ear, his voice thick and deep. It caused her to shiver, but she didn't feel like it was because she enjoyed his closeness or the way he flattered her. She felt off. Something was off. "I've been waiting for you to show up all night, you know."

Despite her uneasiness, she smiled back at him shyly and shifted on her feet, discretely creating more breathing space between them that she was suddenly lacking. "It's your party, I'm sure there's more exciting guests than the new girl in town."

He quickly closed the gap she made anew and leaned sideways on the counter they were standing beside. His lips curved sloppy as he tried to smirk at her, lolling his head to the side. "No, I've known everyone here my whole life. It's nice to get to know someone new." He gestured in even closer to push a stray strand of hair away from her face while tilting his mouth back towards her ear.

"Especially a girl as pretty as you."

Ally didn't know what to say, she wasn't used to guys coming on to her like this or complimenting her often or even being happy to really see her. Maybe it was because he was drunk or maybe he really did think she was pretty. She wasn't sure.

He started to rhythmically caress her cheek, his hand calloused and inattentive, before he used it to snatch up her right hand and she froze. "Come, I want to show you something."

"Hey Wate!" Ally was thankful to be interrupted, stepping back from David to breathe. This was escalating too fast in a direction she really didn't want to go, and a part of her felt it was all David really wanted from her. She saw that it was Spencer Strait who drunk-hollered from the doorway.

"Some bitch is trying to jump from the banister. Just thought you should know." Spencer was plastered out of his mind and couldn't stop giggling like a little school boy.

"Ah, shit. Not again!" David whined, releasing Ally. "Stay here, I'll be right back." He said once he briefly kissed her cheek and grinned. Once he left her there, she slumped on the counter suddenly exhausted. It was only then that she finally registered how insanely fast her heart was beating. She was sweating a little, but only because it was hot inside and her jacket didn't give her any breathing room. Her feet were also starting to hurt and she had an overwhelming feeling of homesickness. She drank her cold drink again to concentrate on something else and glanced around the kitchen at the packed people trafficking in and out for drinks or just loitering and talking. She immediately blushed; embarrassed if anyone had seen the intimate scene David was creating between them. She had a feeling what the boy's intentions were and she definitely wasn't that girl. She needed to get out of this kitchen and go find Trish. But as she took another brave and hardy glug to calm herself, she abruptly blanched, feeling a heavy gaze on her that she knew wasn't David's. She could sense it on her like physical hands touching her, even though she didn't know where it was coming from. It made her squirm uncomfortably.

Ally swivelled her head towards its general direction and saw two things in the far corner of the room; Avery Drake looking drunk out of her mind in a tiny hot pink dress and stuck like a leech to a guy while sitting on his lap. Her arms snagged around his neck tightly and her head close to whisper in his ear seductively. His arms wound around her and were clasped against her hip. And the second thing was the gaze she felt watching and studying her. It was coming from the very guy whose lap Avery was currently attempting to dry hump.

He had spiked jet-black hair that Avery kept running her hands through, and very tanned Mediterranean skin. Ally noticed he was dressed in an unfamiliar biker jacket.

He stared right at Ally unwaveringly, despite Avery trying desperately to gain his attention by doing everything in her power. Ally looked at both her sides to see if she was wrong and he was looking at someone else. But it was only her in this corner of the kitchen. She involuntarily gulped.

But he was just sneering broadly at her like Avery wasn't even there.

Ally strangely felt like he was picturing her in his head and it made her feel uncomfortable again an almost dirty. She didn't like the way his eyes balefully sparked at her with this carnal evil deep inside them. She could tell he was something evil; something she hadn't felt when she even looked at Austin Moon. She stood corrected; Austin wasn't the scariest eyes she seen. His were. He winked when he caught her staring back. Avery, probably feeling his unresponsiveness, looked up see him staring off in the distance. Catching the primal amusement on his face and then at whom he was exactly looking at, Avery face grew thunderous and she grabbed him possessively between her hands and planted a passionate, hungry kiss right on his lips. This time, she got his attention and lust finally took over him. He grabbed her backside tightly in response and reciprocated, not looking back at Ally again.

She gasped. She had to find Trish right now. She was way in over her head. She could care less if David was disappointed that she left, she wasn't going to do what he wanted regardless.

"Jesus, what was I thinking? I need to get out of here." She muttered out of breath and placing a hand to her damp forehead.

She walked into the living area that had either dancing people sandwiched together or standing around in clusters and talking, drinking. She quickly looked around to see if she could spot her friend but was having no luck. Ally's breath was becoming shallow as she suddenly thought of the possibility of not finding her. The music seemed to have gotten even louder and was booming against her growing headache. She grabbed her phone from her little purse and called Trish's number, turning away to go look in the next room over. Ally seethed when Trish didn't pick up twice. Where the hell could she have gone? Ally then vaguely remembered David telling them that the party spilled down to the beach as well and had even told Trish to go give it a look. Thinking that was most likely where she was, she turned and headed towards the closest open door towards the back deck.

It was just as crowded on this broad deck as it was inside. There had to be at least over a thousand people here, and she had only seen so little of the house since she arrived. She scanned over the heads, searching and searching until she found her but she still couldn't seem to see her anywhere. People were giving Ally weird looks, probably thinking about what this girl was doing standing here alone but at this point, she could care less. This night was quickly turning out exactly how she had pictured it and she just wanted to go home. Ally started to head down the stone stairs that lead to the beach where a huge bon fire was going and a DJ table was set up, huge speakers pulsing out fast music. The beach itself was quite rocky and had huge stones littered across that separated the properties of the homes. But after at least 15 minutes of riffling and sifting through the horde of people, she gave up calling her phone and looking and just decided to walk on the beach. Trish was probably off somewhere having fun and she didn't have it in her to crash that.

She was a good distance away from the party now, walking further down the beach towards the darker part, and she could feel her mind begin to clear as she took deep soothing breathes. She peeled her shoes off and held them in her hand as her toes squished in the sand. This was what relaxed her, not letting loose and hooking up at parties. There was a reason she didn't go to them back in Maine; it just wasn't her. She could hear the music and laughter start to recede behind her, signalling she was getting a bit too far away. The lights from the house in the distance softly lit up her way so she felt safe. She stopped in front of a large area of the beach territorialized by a tall cliff that had many natural caves and grottos. It was a beautiful place that looked even better in the moonlight. She took this time to just forget about everything that was weighing her down, the beer she polished off coursing in her bloodstream and making her a little dizzy.

_New school, new house, biker clubs, dark brown eyes… _

A flickering light caught her eye from only a few feet away from her. It was coming from inside one of the caves and she silently wondered what it could possibly be. Since it was the last place she was likely to check, maybe it was where Trish was. Ignoring the bright flashing sign in her head saying '_danger,danger!_' she pulled down her dress a little and started making her way over to it carefully.

She gathered her shoes into one hand and she used the other to steady herself against the rough doorway of the cave. She was just about to peer around inside when surprisingly two voices—one strangled in anguish and the other threateningly angry—caused her to stay hidden. She quickly crouched down behind a large boulder that was closer inside and listened tentatively against her better judgement.

"I've fucking had it with you, Devon! I tried to be lenient, I even gave you a chance to redeem your worthless self and get far away from here. But you're just too _stupid_ and _greedy_ to see mercy when it's thrown in your face!" A terrifyingly furious voice, definitely male, boomed off the walls of the cave, Ally becoming as solid as a statue in her spot behind the rock.

When Ally heard there was no response she thought it was over and was about to bolt, but then air whooshed in a quick whip like sound and startled her, sounding like someone was just violently kicked or thrown. Something large hit a hard surface and thumped with a muffled cry of pain. Ally swallowed her fright and slowly raised her head just a little over the rock to see the scene in front of her.

But once she did, she immediately regretted it.

She saw Austin Moon standing defensively and dominating but horrifyingly still. She baited her breath as she took in the sight. His knuckles were smothered in the blood of the beaten and battered young man across the cave floor in front of him. The light from a propped up flashlight flickered in the corner, faintly illuminating the bloodcurdling expression that took over his face. With his hair bright and his eyes dark, he looked every bit like an avenging angel.

But he was far from anything good. That was plainly obvious from the person half-dead at his feet that attempted to sit up but didn't seem to have the strength. The man's eyes were swollen shut and the cuts along his face were bleeding profusely.

Ally was in horrified awe. After everything she found out, what were the odds she would come across this? What had this person done to make Austin so murderous? Did he even do anything? God, she needed to run, and run fast. It was only then that Ally saw the gun tightly gripped in his right hand as he raised it and pointed it towards the guy's chest.

"Time's up, Devon." He deeply growled with malice as he went to pull the trigger.

A split second before the bullet could ring out as she realized what he was going to do, Ally clasped both her hands over my mouth to mask her cry of horror and mindlessly, both of her shoes rattled noisily to the ground. She froze in absolute panic at her carelessness.

"SHIT! **_WHO'S THERE?!_**_" _Ally heard Austin roar indirectly at her in outrage.

_Oh my god. _

_Ohmygod, ohmygod! What the _**fuck **_is going on?! I'm SO DEAD! Oh no, oh no oh no…_

Ally heard loud footsteps quickly start to approach the spot where she hid, and it felt like they were coming from all directions; like it wasn't just him present. She suddenly felt like she was suffocating and losing oxygen quick. She struggled to lift her body to make a move and run back to the party before he discovers her and tries to kill her too.

But it was too late. Before she had a chance to rise and flee, someone roughly seized her from behind and dragged her out of the darkness and into the open area where Austin was, despite her screams. She was right; there were other people who began to emerge into the cave.

Her last thought was as she tried to let out a terrified shrill from her protesting dry throat:

_I'm going to die. _

**_A/N: T_****o be continued in PART II...**

**Quite the cliffy, hehee. **

**And to answer the question...yes, Austin and Ally will finally intimately meet in the next update.**

**All the boring stuff is over. Now is where the fun begins!**

**I'm sorry. Hope everyone is still interested for part II which I will post before the end of the weekend. Anyway, who do you think were the people who came in at the end? Who snatched up Ally? Do you think she'll get hurt? **


	7. Wrong Place,Wrong Time Part II

**A/N: Here is Part II, as promised! I know the cliff-hanger killed some of you guys so I hope this next part was worth it.**

**-B**

**Austin's POV**

One by one, my fists pounded into his flesh, bruising and opening it as I relentlessly kept my pace without any promise of stopping. Devon futilely tried to fight back, his body weak from the intense beating it had already taken. He was no match for me in this state. I was beyond angry, so incredibly pissed; at Devon and Trey, _Hell's Fury_, and all the other mounting crap that seemed to turn over one by one since this shit underneath my fists decided to play games with me and my club.

When I felt my energy waning a bit, I sat up but continued to straddle him, delivering one last hit with a sickening crunch to his eye socket. The force of it caused his head to turn in the direction I punched him, spewing and spraying blood across the cold stone floor. He screamed and I knew I had succeeded in cracking the bone around his eye. I smiled surly in triumph. No one would hear anything this far away from the party. This cave was perfect and I could do what he needed to done without suspicion.

Devon was as good as dead now. Not only did he betray the club for _Fury_, but even when he's found out and by the grace of God (or in his case, Dez stopping me at the pool hall) given leniency, he still doesn't know his place?! He thinks he can try and skip town without having to answer to me for not paying the club back? At least his coward of a partner Trey had the good decency to run away and hide, for fear of both gangs finding him. But no, this arrogant bastard who had been dancing along the set boundary between the two clubs had the audacity to come and make one more round of sales at a high school party just before he left town with all the money he _owes_! The greed of this guy!

I growled and upper-cutted him in the gut with newly fueled anger then grasped his face roughly between one of my hands while the other held down his right wrist tightly. I had winded him greatly and he was gasping for air.

"What did I say if you didn't pay back everything you owed by the deadline, which was over a _week ago_? Did you _really think_ I wouldn't find you sooner or later?" Devon clenched his bloody teeth and grimaced in pain. I grabbed his little rat face even harder as he tried to worm away from my grip. I smacked his head against the hard ground beneath him for good measure.

"You _snake_! I should have killed you the moment I laid eyes on you and knew you were a bad egg. You're an ass-kissing dealer who will do anything for the highest bidder. You make me sick." I seethed, plunging my fingers deeper into his cut and bruised face and listened to him cry out in torment.

"Where's _Fury_ now, huh Devon? They don't give two shits about you or Trey. Never did and never will." I moved in closer so I could whisper menacingly to him. "Tell me, was it worth it? Betraying those who gave you a job and a roof over your head? Was _your life_ worth it?"

Devon was so incoherent at this point I didn't even want to bother and waste my valued breath on scum like this. So I got off him and stood up, my knuckles slightly throbbing from all the hitting. As I stood above him, Devon twitched and tried to crawl away from me.

"Last chance. You have one minute to tell me where the money is before I blow your brains out all over this floor."

He whimpered and winced in ache but even almost in death, the traitor was holding onto his money without any chances of giving it up. His swollen eyes turned toward me and after a while, I thought he might actually tell me and save his own ass. But instead, he just spit blood in my direction and scoffed. I clenched my jaw in restraint. It wasn't even about the money anymore for me; it was the principle of respect. By getting a big ego boasted by greedy desires, he thought he had more authority and therefore challenged the rules. He tried to be sneaky and cunning but what he didn't realize was I was always one step ahead. He still remained quiet which just made the situation worse for him as my fury increased 10 notches.

"I've fucking had it with you, Devon! I tried to be lenient; I even given you so many chances to redeem your worthless self and get far away from here. But you're just too _stupid_ and _greedy _to see mercy when it's thrown in your face!"

I grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and tossed him far across the span of the cave where he crashed into one of the walls and slumped down, agony evident in his features. I stood there overflowing with contempt and staring at his half-unconscious body, going over my options. I ran my hand through my hair as I thought over the choice of trying to weasel it out of him again or maybe bring him back to the clubhouse and get him to confess there. But this was my job and my mess that I needed to clean it up, not get everyone else involved. And who knows what else could go wrong if I let this moment pass. So completely motivated by my anger and hate, I went with my last option:

Kill his useless ass and call it a night.

So I pulled out my gun from the side of my jeans and gripped it tightly in my right hand. Devon's eyes grew wide at the sight, his mouth popping open, and I smirked at him with utter distaste.

"Time's up, Devon." I growled deeply in my throat before readying my gun and narrowing my gaze. But right after I took aim and increased my pressure on the trigger, a very loud and distracting clatter echoed inside the cave startling me. I instantly halted my actions and whipped my head around.

Someone was there. And someone was listening. "SHIT! **_WHO'S THERE?!_**_"_ I yelled in outrage.

Lowering my gun and tucking it away in my jeans again, I could just make out the sound of panicked scuffling coming from somewhere near the entrance of the cave. Most likely it was some wandering drunk from the party who probably wouldn't remember anything tomorrow morning but I couldn't take any chances. Livid that in my anger, I had been stupid and careless enough to create a witness, I quickly headed in the sound's general direction before the person could get away from me or make a scene.

But everything started to escalate pretty damn fast.

Before I could take two more feet closer to grab my unwelcomed guest and threaten them to keep their trap shut, I was off set when a small group of people started filing inside the cave, along with a frantic looking girl being dragged in against her will. She looked slightly younger than me and was too pretty to be out here on this end of the beach all alone. I assumed then that this was my witness. I was taken off guard at the unexpected gathering of young men appearing from the darkness and starting to form a loose semi circle around me. I didn't like to be surrounded and I soon became anxious. But they just moved in without saying a word, except for the petite girl being restrained by a brick wall of a young boy who stood with her off to the side. She was kicking and screaming as tears sprung in her eyes with panic and fright. I could tell she was afraid and a small part of me felt bad she had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But she had just made my job ten times harder and that pissed me off.

"What is going on?"

I then went rigid and defensive when I realized who it was exactly that was yanking her in and filing into the cave. It wasn't because I knew who they all were particularly but because each one of them was fairly young and wearing a _Hell's Fury _club vest with 'prospect' patches on them. And if they were here, that means…

"Well, I'd never thought I'd see the day when Austin Moon would get so clumsy and create a witness."

Crap. He came in just on cue, the last to enter the small hideaway.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I balled my fists and scanned all the faces around me, lingering momentarily on the now dimly familiar girl who was shaking and screaming for the boy to let her go. I looked away and back at _him _trying to control myself but it was hard. My blood was spiking in pressure just looking at him. I could imperceptibly hear Devon whine distressfully behind me.

Marco Di Santis was tall like me but had spiky black hair and dark olive-toned skin due to his Italian heritage. He was the same age as me and we were both grandson's to the creators of the two biggest clubs of Deadwood County. But other than that, we were nothing alike. He was a grade-A prick for the hell of it and I was the way I was mostly out of a sense of protection. We have had a mutual hatred for each since before I could even remember. It was something that just was silently agreed upon. We were rivals and I knew he not only hated me because I was a major part of _Covenant,_ but because my name was more feared than his. He walked the rest of the way inside and stopped in front of me, nose to nose. "Funny story actually. I came looking for our friend Devon here for the same reason as you."

Marco's tone was so sarcastic and slimy it was making me want to empty my insides on his shoes. He walked away from me to crouched in front of Devon who was curled in a ball on the floor.

"But it looks like you got to the shithead first and did quite a number on him. I hope we didn't interrupt." He glanced back at me and smiled evilly, his signature look. But I knew those were exactly his intentions. He made it his goal to get himself in everything that didn't require him, the nosy bastard.

I deepened my voice intimidating like I always do and spoke clearly and slowly. "You have no right to be involved in this anymore. Any of you." I gestured to the young boys around us. "Your club did enough by trying to steal our dealers in the first place. Now take your idiotic gang of mediocre prospects and _back off_."

He blinked twice before laughing right in my face like the jackass he is and I had to exert so much will not to wind my hands around his neck. My face remained composed when he chuckled. My mind quickly told me to steal a second to check that the girl was alright. She had stopped struggling but still had the guy's hand across her mouth.

Besides the fact that she was being oppressed against her will, she was a good-looking girl probably from a good family who just happened to stumble across somewhere she shouldn't have been. Why the hell was she out over here anyway? She kept striking something familiar in me that I couldn't quite grasp. She was silently crying with wide attentive eyes that begged me to help her. I looked back at them without any emotion but immediately recognized who she was. This was the strange girl who was staring at me the other day when I went to pick up Ari from school. It had to be. No other gaze could make me feel like everything about my life was laid out before it and I was vulnerable. It was completely unnerving and calculated and I never came across anyone who could do it to me before. Maybe it was because not many looked at me long enough without fearing for their lives. I instantly hated that uncomfortable feeling of having weakness in someone's eyes and indistinctly recall giving her the bird.

Christ, could this night get any worse?!

"Oh, I do wish you told me that before I blew his partner Trey off the face of this earth not more than an hour ago. And here I am trying to finish the job and this is how you thank me?" Marco continued to laugh. He was always good at acting innocent and manipulative but he was getting on my last nerve. God, I hated him.

"You killed Trey?" I looked away from the girl and looked confusingly at Marco. This was news to me but nonetheless, I was reassured by it. One less person to make this mess ever bigger. Still, I didn't like how much _Fury_ was starting to really weave themselves within _Covenant's_ affairs. Meanwhile, Devon continued to groan in pain and distress, signaling that he was still conscious but just barely.

"Bullet straight to the skull, instantly dead." Marco said it like he was talking about a prize he was proud of that won at a science fair. "Found him hiding in a sanctuary over on our turf in Rose Hill after I heard he had crawled back to your father and gave all our money away. Told him Devon was going to run with it all so he took it from him."

_"Your _money?!" My guard slightly cracked then. "You little smug fucker! _Fury's_ been pumping them with lies in exchange for our cut for the past five months!"

Marco grinned knowingly as he paced over to stand before me again. "It's not my fault you can't handle your business, Austin. But don't worry; I'll clean up your mess for you."

His stupid smile suddenly dropped and he became serious and dark. Happening faster than I could comprehend to react, he whipped out his gun from behind his jacket, immediately causing me to do the same in defense, but instead of aiming it at me like I thought he would, he turned and angled it at Devon's body on the ground a foot away from us. Before I could stop him, he let a bullet go and it sunk right into Devon's skull, blood splattering along the wall behind him. He was instantly dead.

I didn't even flinch and neither did Marco or anyone of the other young men. I wasn't expecting him to kill him but death also wasn't knew to me. God only knows how many times I've done it myself. Devon's death was inevitable from either me or Marco but what concerned me more was the evidence of the body and the girl who was screaming a muffled high pitch scream that was one of pure hysteria. She looked absolutely distraught and it didn't sit well with me, making me uneasy. She began to jerk and twist for her dear life which causes a horrible thought to be entertained in my mind. How much longer would her life be due to the recent circumstances?

With that, I froze and then looked at Marco who knew I had caught on to what he was planning to do. I know how the protocol works. He was going to kill her too since she had already seen too much, and tie up all the loose ends. I might have done the same thing if I didn't already see how petrified she was and strangely feel sympathy and mild concern towards her. Without hesitancy, like he was strengthened from the power he got from the kill, Marco started to make his way towards his target, cocking back his gun and reloading it. At the sight of him approaching her, she let out a blood-curdling scream of terror, sobs racking her body as she pulled and pushed like the arms holding her down were electrocuting her. Seeing an innocent killed solely for just being an idiot and not minding their own business wasn't my style, and Marco's little display of dominance that he was attempting to goad me with was made me see red. No one takes charge of my business and decides how I should handle it.

_No one._

I had only a second to respond, so I dashed to stand in front of her in the hold of her captor before Marco could take another step in her direction. He stopped short when he saw me blocking his way with a thunderous expression and my arms slightly spread to block her.

"That's **_ENOUGH_****,** Marco. You're not going to touch one fucking hair on her head, _end of story_." I had never felt angrier than I was in that moment and I didn't even know exactly why. Maybe it was because this whole night was going completely out of control and I wasn't use to it. This _never _happens to me; things not going according to plan. I lived off of the high I got from having total control over every aspect in my life. Of having sense and order to things. And it was like everything that could have gone wrong tonight, _had _gone wrong and was slipping right between my fingers. Not to mention this girl wasn't just some random bitch off the street. My heartbeat raced wildly in my chest, sending my blood to pump pure heat and adrenaline fast and purposefully throughout my entire body. She had stopped screaming and thrashing behind me, probably taking in what I had just did and watching what was going to happen next. She better fucking be thankful and kiss my ass for this.

"You already accomplished what you came here to do, barging in on what didn't need to involve you." I lowered my voice an octave and it came out chilly and authoritative. I invaded his personal space as well and sent him a death glare. "So let me handle her, take the body and _leave._" My final word came out as a hiss, the last of my self control cracking and quickly beginning to crumble.

It was only then that I finally saw the hint of intimidation and mild fear in Marco's eyes which could only mean I was almost off the deep end. He knew how much I was attempting to contain my rage but he is seriously pushing it. Rapidly diminishing any sense of weakness from his demeanor before he thought I could see it, he pretended to feign understanding my intentions like the good little drama queen he was, making everything theatrical.

"Oh right, where are my manners?" He slapped his forehead in mock shame. "She's a product of your unprofessionalism, you do the honours." He pushed his gun into my hand, his words causing the girl close behind me to flip all over again in her restraint and sob harder than before.

"Unless…" He challenged me. "…You've gone soft."

I growled at the accusation, causing him to secretly take a small step back from me without him thinking I noticed. His sinisterly playful look still held fast on his features. I was _not _soft. Just because I wasn't one to spill innocent blood… It didn't make me soft. It made me just. And he of all people should know how just I am. If I wasn't, he'd be dead in a box years ago.

But Marco admittedly had a point and as he and all his entourage of prospects watched me in anticipation and baited breath, proverbially backing me into a corner. I looked at the wide-eyed frightened girl who they were testing my limits with. Gritting my teeth, I hated her for the position she has put me in. If she wasn't sniffing around where she shouldn't have, we wouldn't be here right now hovering over a dead body and contemplating to add another to the pile! Anyone else, I would have done it in a heartbeat to shut Marco up. But for some reason with this one, I can't find it in me. And I really hated her for that.

I looked at Marco who had his eyebrows raised confronting me, then peered around my body to look at her in the eye.

"You better be quick, Austin. This one's been a tease towards me all night and if you don't deal with her soon then I sure as hell will." His eyes were hungry and dark.

I made a sound of aggravation. This guy didn't know where to draw the line or stop when one had already been drawn. It drove me over the edge. I knew I couldn't kill her when I should since leaving loose ends will come around to screw me over in the end. But I couldn't just ex her off, even if my reputation was being brought into question. There were other ways to deal with her. She'd probably be too scared to say anything anyway.

I could feel her shaking due to her close proximity to my back as I loomed over her. I was dangerous but not completely heartless, no matter how much others and I included would like to think otherwise.

I tossed the gun he placed in my hand at his feet. "Don't you dare challenge me, Marco." It was only a few words but they were frigid and deadly. I've hit my breaking point and everyone around us could see it. My words were out in a whisper as my eyes snapped with all the dark anger pent up inside me and narrowed on him. When I became this, I didn't get loud; I became eerily quiet which was always worse.

But as Marco's eyes widened—in what I wasn't quite sure—and he made a move to speak, we were interrupted by an insanely loud voice that came over what sounded like a speaker system in the distance, and the music was suddenly shut off.

"**_COOOPPS_****! THE COPS ARE HERE, CLEAR OUT!**"

I realized it was the DJ from the beach who shouted into his mike, and his warning was so strident that it reached us in the cave farther down the beach. At the mention of the cops being here and the sight of a dead body no farther than five feet away from me, I wave of annoyance washed over me mixed with very slight panic.

Jesus, I didn't think this night couldn't go anymore south that it already has.

And there was still the problem of dealing with the girl and keeping her silent.

"_Shit._ Looks like you've just been saved, princess." Marco muttered. He looked at her, then at me, and down at Devon's lifeless body. I instantly could see his motive unravel before me.

"Oh, no you don't! You're the _dipshit_ that killed him, so _you _have to take care of his body!"

But he was already backing out of the cave with a curve to his lips, as were his flunkies. They were retreating from an unfinished job like the messy and clumsy cowards they were.

"Leave the girl. Let's see how he gets himself out of this one."

"**_Marco!_**" I roared, starting after him.

But it was too late. The girl was released and shoved roughly where she landed at my feet with a cry and shook silently without rising to her feet to run. She seemed to be in shock. The boy who had held her ran off after the rest of his group. I could hear Marco's fading chortle as he got farther and farther away from me. There was no use in going after him now.

And right now I had bigger problems and not a lot of time. This was probably the first time in my whole life of being a part of the business of the club that I truly felt at a loss and panicky. My options were minimal and looking quickly around the cave at the scene, I guessed I had less than 10 minutes before the cops started to flood the beach to wrangle up drunken teenagers and stumble upon us and Devon's body. I began to pace back in forth, calculating. I could bolt like Marco did and just leave the body and the girl. I'd be my word against hers anyway if I could make up a good alibi. _Damn it_! That's too risky.

I was positively shaking in fury, knowing there was not enough time for me to deal with both the body and the girl. I glanced down at her. She had her knees bent with her head tucked away, cowering away from me in a corner. I guess she didn't have the strength to run. She was shivering and sniveling, soft little noises of overwhelming fear escaping her lips as she gripped onto her arms tightly.

I growled loudly, cursed out loud and stalked towards her. I decided then what I had to do. And it made me sick that I had placed myself in this predicament to begin with. But I had no choice anymore.

The club would have to decide her fate.

I reached out for her and she automatically flinched, pushing as far away from me as she could until she hit the wall.

"No, _please_, please, don't kill me! Please! I didn't mean to spy! I'm sorry, _please—_"

I grabbed for her again and this time I was successful in gripping both her arms and hauling her onto her feet. She gasped and stopped talking instantly.

"For the love of God, just shut the _hell_ up and do as I say, got it? I'm not going to kill you, but I might reconsider if you keep talking." I watched her visibly gulp and frantically nod, her dark brown hair falling in front of her face. _Good_, I thought. I'm not in the mood for any of this bullshit.

"Crap, I don't have any more time." I snapped under my breath, and looking out the wide doorway of the cave. I could see light beams from flashlights faintly dancing on the sand in front and knew cops were close. My eyes locked with hers in a domineering warning.

"You scream, yell, or make one little noise, you're finished." I whispered menacingly. "Nod if you understand."

She nodded robotically as she continued to stare me in the eyes, her breathing shallow and quick. I realized then that mine matched hers, pace and all. She looked so scared but at the same time, not as bad as I would have expected after seeing someone killed. I gripped her bicep tighter, breaking our gaze and pulling her behind me. With one last look at Devon's body and his blood that smattered the floor, I clenched, grabbed the flashlight turning it off and cautiously exited the cave. I would have to deal with those consequences later. I tucked the girl close to my side where her breath hit heavily against my shoulder and peeked my head out to scan the area. I could see the house where the party was in the distance and people that were crowded on the beach. I could also see cops walking toward my direction but they were still a good distance away; enough for me to make a move and run without getting noticed.

I tugged on her arm again when I saw my chance. "Move. Now; let's go."

**Ally's POV**

I was functioning on my pure instinct and will to live at this point.

I held my tongue from protesting against his strong force because I was scared of what would happen if I did. Psychologically, my mind had passed out the moment I saw the man killed by that horrific guy Avery was hooking up with, and I was now an adrenaline infused shell that had all of my nerve endings stimulated and sensitive. I was insanely frightened but I valued my life too much to not co-operate with Austin. We quickly scurried across the sand where he led us onto the nearest property and up the similar stone stairs like David's house had. The property was dark; the residents probably fast asleep at this late an hour. He discarded the flashlight he had deep within a mess of thick shrubbery as we hurriedly made our way up, him going at a swift pace that I struggled to keep up with. The two of us were panting in suspense and uncertainty by the time we reached the silent house's open backyard where he momentarily brought us to a stop.

"This way." He yanked hard on my sore arm again when he saw a pathway at the side of the house. He hastily started down it in the darkness, the brick wall of the house and a line of trees towering over either side of us. He rushed like a man on a mission, the shoulders within his leather jacket visibly taught and tense. He pulled harder on me again when I stumbled and began to slow.

"Stop pulling me," I mumbled automatically, briefly forgetting where I was and who I was talking to. My chest hitched instantaneously when I realized what I had just done and I immediately regretted it. I could never keep my mouth shut and I was now probably going to die cause of it. All the blood drained from my face.

He abruptly halted in his tracks and pushed me against the brick wall of the house all in the same instant. An animalistic sound came from somewhere deep in his throat as he closed in on me. He didn't remove the one hand he had on my arm but instead pinned it to the wall roughly while he braced his other beside my head. All the air in my lungs left my chest in a gust as he pressed in on me with an aggravated and lethal glower, leaving nonexistent space between our heated bodies. He was so tall; at least 3 heads taller than me and it intimidated me more now that we were so close but I had a feeling that was the whole point. I shuttered with fear mixed with something else I wasn't sure of as I apprehensively looked into his hooded and smoldering brown eyes. Holy, he was so close. The smell of him made my head swim as he trapped me with his body against the wall.

"What did I say about talking?" Austin's lips formed each word slowly in a low and scary tone. He was breathing hard and it washed over my face, stilling me even further. In the moonlight filtering through the canopy of trees, I could see that his face was only inches from mine…see that it was faintly flushed from the exertion of the night. Deep down, I admitted that it made him look even more handsome and alive. Against my crazy panic and head screaming of how dangerous he was, I selfishly took notice of the plumpness of his mouth and how close it was to mine. He seemed to notice it too; his eyes flicking down fleetingly to observe my own before returning my gaze. He swiped his tongue along his upper lip quickly and my pulse instinctively quickened. He inched ever so closer.

"I-I know. I'm sorry." My throat was ridiculously dry as our eyes remained locked in the dark. "It's just my arms are sore from being held down by that guy." My voice was so meek I would be surprised if he heard any of that. I down casted my eyes and bit my lip hard, afraid of what was going to happen next.

But he seemed to hear what I said and I could right away feel his grip loosen on my arm greatly. His eyes seemed to shine with genuine sympathy that looked so foreign there. After a heartbeat, he removed the hold fully only to glide his fingers down the length of my arm slowly, his eyes never leaving mine. His languid touch left a heated trail in its wake until it reached for my own hand and clasped it comfortably tight.

"Better?" His eyes didn't hesitate now to look down at my teeth tugging on my bottom lip.

"Yes" I didn't like how breathy and wanton my voice sounded. It was a tone I never knew I had.

His jaw flexed as he out of the blue smirked arrogantly, like he knew exactly how he was affecting me. He made me so nervous and edgy. I couldn't believe this was happening.

How was he so playful all of a sudden? How as _I _so forgetful?! Aren't we trying to run from the police? And where was he taking me?!

A small part of me was telling that rational part to shut the hell up, and revelled in how warm his hand felt grasping mine.

Another part also said that despite this boy's reputation, I could believe that I was somewhat safe with him. He wasn't as soulless as people painted him to be, that much could be said for his character by the way he didn't kill me when he was being forced by Marco. But even so, that didn't mean he wasn't just as daunting and scary.

Not being coherent enough to form words, I shuffled on my feet to straighten my back on the wall and simply nodded.

He finally backed away from me then and I suddenly felt very cold. Ice cold. I cursed myself for being so hormonal and easily forgetful towards the sobering reality of the last past hour of my life.

He squeezed my hand to bring me back. "Hurry. We need to move." His voice was suddenly cold again, and it brought back all the memories from the beach flooding back and I crashed from my brief reprieve hard. I blinked back fresh traitorous tears.

We scuttled across a humongous front lawn hand in hand, him pulling me close to his side again so we moved as one. Feeling the sensation of the grass on my toes, I remembered then that I had forgotten my shoes back down in the cave where I had dropped them. _Those damn things are what got me into this mess_, I bristled to myself. Good riddance.

Once we reached the street, I could see that we were at least five properties down from David's house at the end of the street where three or four cop cars were parked out front.

"Bloody hell," he cursed under his breath in exasperation.

There was a substantially less amount of cars in the street as people had probably hastened to get out of there quick but there was still quite a wide amount of people littering the streets. Austin ducked his head, to hide it from others, I guessed, and didn't stop moving when we hit the side walk He actually picked up speed, my body jolting forward to tug after his down the opposite direction of the street. I didn't know where he was taking me and I wanted to know badly but I couldn't speak again without pissing him off. He was terrifying when he was angry so I waited it out.

It seemed like forever until he stopped in front of a supped up, black-on-black '68 Shelby Mustang, and threw open the passenger door for me to hop in. I looked wearily up at him with wide eyes as I stopped in front of it and hesitated.

"Get in before I throw you in." He thrusted his arm to point at the passenger seat, his expression one of annoyance and frustration. There was no negotiating with that tone.

Not even daring to argue, I slid in and he slammed the door behind me. It was then in that silent second that I thought about how stupid this decision might be. He can take me anywhere he wants now and no one would know. Oh god, where was Trish?! I began to internally break down even more that I was already doing previously.

A moment passed before he entered the car in a huff and rammed his key furiously into its slot. The car came to life beneath me and the engine roared as he gunned it down the street without a single breath.

"Put your seatbelt on." He ordered; eyes front and jaw tight.

I complied right away and snapped the buckle in. He looked like he was about to explode at any moment; an unpredictable time bomb. Right now, this was exactly everything I expected him to be; terrifying, intimidating, domineering, rage-full…but nothing was as scary as the reality.

What was going to happen to me? _I knew too much already so..._My throat ran dry again.

Austin flew far over the speed limit as he raced down the empty street due to the early morning hour. I could see his hands on the steering wheel and gear shift tighten more and more until his bloody knuckles were all shades of whites and reds.

"What's your name?"

I looked at him when he randomly spoke up, but he didn't look fazed; his eyes focused forward. I was surprised. Was he attempting to make small talk with me? He then looked swiftly in my direction before turning back.

"Well?" He pressed impatiently.

"You said not to speak…"

"I changed my mind, obviously." I'd never felt like I annoyed someone as much as him.

"When I ask a question, I expect you to answer it, so tell me your name."

"Ally. It's Ally." I answered quickly but quietly.

"Ally…" The way he said it, testing the sound of it on his lips and in his mouth, lengthening the whole two syllables…it should be illegal. I'd never thought the sound of my name could be so alluring but there he was, making it sound sinful. I involuntarily began to take quick breathes again.

"It suites you." After I gained composure, I mumbled a thank you in response and that was all that was said for the time being. It grew eerily quiet as he continued to rev down the vacant side streets and the silence made me even more nervous. I snuck a glance at him and saw that his eyebrows were furrowed in concentration, like he was mulling something confusing over in his head. He looked perturbed and occupied, so I took the chance to look him over while I was still sitting this close to him. I admired his blonde hair and the way it hung endearingly in his eyes. It was a bright shade that was like a halo in the darkness. His profile was sleek and chiselled as was the rest of his face. His thick lightly-coloured lashes fluttered over his prominent cheek bones and I gulped at the way a tick was going in his defined jaw. He quickly turned to catch me looking at him and I looked away, my face heated in embarrassment. I could hear him laugh.

"…innocent name for an innocent girl." He said so low that I probably wouldn't have caught it if I didn't turn to see it come straight from his mouth with my own eyes.

He seemed to be calming, spiralling down from his rage-a-thon. So I courageously asked the one thing that I desperately needed to know.

"Where are you taking me?"

He sighed and gripped the bridge of his nose between his forefinger and thumb. "You're not from around here, are you?" He was harsh again.

"What makes you say that?" My exhaustion was starting to finally overcome me as my adrenaline was slowing decreasing, making me sound and look more visibly irritated than afraid.

"Well for one, you would know _**exactly**_ who I am and where I'm taking you."

He was arrogant about his reputation. That much was obvious.

"I know who you are..." I stunned myself by briskly snipping at him, finally turning my hysteric disbelief and terror into impatience and frustration. But turned away when I saw his eyes snap up at me. "…Excuse me if I don't ask for your autograph."

"Watch the **_fucking_** attitude. My night has been an absolute living hell and I don't need you and your smart mouth choosing now to start acting up." He barked viciously and his voice filled the car, all playful and friendliness gone in one breath. I was beginning to think he was bipolar.

And I didn't know how much longer I was going to be able to hold on without breaking.

"Stop telling me what to do. I'm not your bitch." I mumbled.

Looks like now was about that time. I had lost my mind utterly and completely, no sense of preservation towards my life or survival imminent enough to stop the words before they left my mouth. It was a reflex, a defensive reflex. I wasn't sure if it was the man getting killed right before my eyes, the entire nervous breakdown I had in the cave, or Austin's dominating presence that finally got to me and made my sanity snap, but it did and I knew my horrible self control was going to be the root cause to my chances of getting murdered tonight.

"What did you say to me?" He seethed. His anger snapped out and assailed me with all the suffocating force of his pent up emotions.

I couldn't find the courage to respond.

"You know what, fuck this. This is the fucking thanks I get for sparing you. Figures you'd have a mouth on you, too! It wasn't like God was going to pick now to give me a damn break, was it? And this night's not even closed to finished! Jesus!" His eyes focused so acutely on me in the dimness of his car, the anger and pure tenseness from his mini rant hung in his eyes and in the air all around us. He broke the stare and cursed obscenely. "The universe is set on me to kill a person tonight, I swear." He spoke to himself as he turned a corner.

"I'm sorry. You're just not what I thought you'd be." I blurted out.

He just chuckled deeply under his breath, a lot of the genuine amusement missing from it. "Nothing's ever what it seems, baby. You're new but you'll learn that quick in this town..." He eyed me from the driver's seat as he spoke with terrifying promise lacing his words. I remained completely frozen, as if his gaze held me there against my will. He had been doing that all night and I'd never met a person who could ever have the effect that this one boy had on me. His atmosphere was invasive; the whole of him was assaulting all my senses at full force...and I couldn't comprehend why I wasn't appalled by it like I was with David. I couldn't understand why I just wasn't appalled, in general. I should hate him.

I should hate him, right?

But Austin was no David. The truth was that he was an addictive drug that left me high and unable to recall anything else in the moment. And the worst part was he knew it too. He was smug and arrogant about it all and it pissed me off.

"Well, that depends actually…" Lowering his voice, he leaned in towards me over the console of the gear shift, directing his blistering gaze up and down on me slowly. I swear his eyes glowed.

"... If you live long enough."

I gasped at his words and froze in terror as he leaned back in his seat and smirked triumphantly, the purpose of his words fully taking affect on me. He could be so horrible and...not...when he really wanted to.

I was having difficult time breathing as I thought about him looming over my fragile body like he did to Devon and aiming a gun straight to my head, when he spoke to me again surprisingly.

"Why the hell would you move to Bay Beach of all places?" It seemed like he was talking more to himself.

I answered anyway, but very softly. "My f-father got offered a good job at the local hospital here. He's a d-doctor."

All he did was look at me for a second and just grunt in response.

"Shut up now. I don't want to talk anymore."

* * *

Austin turned down an old dimly lit street with large classy homes periodically spaced down it. He kept going until he surprised me by turning into a large driveway with two other vintage cars parked that must have cost a fortune. The houses were all dark and quiet, the only illumination came from the street lights. He shut the engine off and left the car and came to quickly open my door. I didn't move though. I just looked up at him questioningly. His face was turned back to stone, no feeling or emotion evident other than his quelling fury that seemed to always be bubbling behind his mysterious dark eyes.

"What are we doing at a house? What's going on?"

"How about we go back to the point when you never talked back to me? I liked that better." He bent down to unbuckle me from my seat and hauled me out like an errant child. I didn't struggle only because I was too bust thinking of different ways I could make a break for it. He suddenly sighed as he set me down in front of him, the sound making me look back at him since it was one that sounded like it was carrying the weight of the world. It was only then that I saw how tired he truly looked. Maybe even a little concerned. I took in air quickly when he gazed at me again but only this time, it seemed to almost…pity me. The thick wall he had around him came down for only a split second but it was enough for me to glimpse how intense his issues were. It probably was the most sobering thing I saw all night. And that was saying a lot.

But his mercurial personality fully turned on me once again and surprised me by grabbing my hand, only this time doing so without the need to keep me in check. He held it tenderly for a reason I didn't know. But I didn't object either. It was such an odd emotion coming from such a callous and dangerous person.

He sighed heavily again and hesitantly lifted his hand to caress my cheek, looking at me with a odd look in his eyes. Like he was almost trying to memorize my face or something. Is he seriously bipolar or something?

"Let's go find out your fate, Ally."

**A/N: Another cliffy, since they're so much fun!**


	8. Tough Luck

**A/N: **THIS IS REVISED AGAIN! I'M SORRY! I know you probably think its a new chapter, but all you have to do is read the re-writes of those two scenes. It's crucial because the way I ended it in my last revision has been changed completely. **

**I RE-WROTE THE LAST TWO SCENES. (grandpa meeting Ally/Ally going home scenes) ****

**SORRY! Just skip down to it if you've read the chap already before..**

** I'm just telling you because you'll be lost in the next chap if you don't!**

**-B**

* * *

Let's go find out your fate, Ally."

Running a hand frustratingly through his hair, Austin bit down on his lip and stepped away from Ally slightly to keep from spiralling out of control and accidentally hurting her in the process. The last thing he needed was to finally lose his mind tonight and have this girl add more onto her list of things pertaining to him. Number one being that she witnessed a murder very clearly involving him and that dipshit Marco.

He couldn't believe he had been so careless to have let someone sneak up on him and see him. He was always careful with the things he did. No matter what, he was cautious and always one step ahead of everyone. He did everything right and on point and until this night, had never messed up as bad as he had or let his anger consume so aggressively. It was eating him alive that this random girl had something so dooming over him.

What if it had been a cop walking on the beach and stumbled upon the cave instead of Ally? Austin couldn't even bare to think about what else could have happened to him and was growing an unhealthy hatred against his new found pain in the ass because of it.

Ally's eyebrows rose as she slightly pouted in worried confusion up at him and his actions. She didn't really need to ask where he was taking her, she knew that. Even if she was new in town, they both knew she still would have heard enough from everyone to know exactly where he was taking her. No one came to Bay Beach without knowing who Covenant and Austin were.

Ignoring the inquiring expression on her face he could aggravatingly tell was about to question him again, he noticed that she was bare foot. Growling at her stupidity, he leaned back inside the car and grabbed his sister's stray pair of flip flops she left in there from when they went to the beach last week. He tossed them at Ally's feet once he retrieved them.

"Here. Put these on. Or don't; I don't really care." He shot coldly.

She glanced down at them and then back at Austin hesitantly, but soon enough she slowly slipped them on her feet and something in her eyes said she was grateful.

"Thank you..." She whispered hoarsely due to all her previous crying. She wasn't crying or panicking anymore.

"Austin." He said it like she should already know. She did, she just didn't want him to know that.

Austin moved her so that he could close the car door and get going. Not wasting another second, he gripped but this time, took note of being as gentle as his current state of aggravation would allow him. As he began to beeline down the quiet street away from the Moon Family home, Ally surprisingly stayed silent but Austin could still mildly hear the quickness of her breath from beside him. Ally tried to stay as calm as she could to not set him off or let him think she was weak, but his tangible frustration towards her was almost suffocating and it made the anticipation of what was going to happen to her even more frightening. She knew he was taking her somewhere that involved the club but she didn't know for what. She inwardly prayed that this is all just a massive figment of her imagination from all the crap Trish has been telling her and she would wake up safe and warm in her bed.

All the other homes close by in the area were dark except for the one light coming from Austin's mother's bedroom distinctly shining through the curtains. She was most likely waiting up for her son and husband like she always did, and ended up passing out with the bed light on.

Austin headed in the direction of the clubhouse's large property down the road from his home and soon, they were travelling along the sidewalk flanking the tall cement boarder walls around it. He swiftly went towards the back entrance since the shop entrance was definitely closed at this hour. They reached the large gate in no time.

Before Austin went to punch in the code to give them entrance, he turned around on Ally and shot a serious warning glare as he slightly tightened his grip on her with meaning. It was like his darkening eyes were channeling all the irritation from the night's events into one look. Ally tensed instantly at the bone-chilling effect. This boy was scarier than her worst nightmare.

"Listen to me." He darkly stated. "The only way I can deal with you humanely is by letting some people—whose business you _rudely _walked in on—know the situation."

Ally wondered what humanely entailed. Regardless he went on, his tone dangerously low and annoyed.

"Now as much as I wish I could just dump you somewhere and be rid of you, you're more involved than either of us wants you to be, making this ten times more difficult to fix. So for my sanity, just do as I say and we'll see if you'll be going home tonight."

A small whimper left Ally's lips as he went to punch in the numbers on the keypad, her head reeling from his harsh words. She couldn't fathom her shit luck and how this could be happening to her. If she didn't survive tonight, she didn't even want to think of what it would do to her father. She muffled a panicked sob. She couldn't let that happen.

"Please promise you won't let anything happen to me."

She didn't know where the courage to ask something so big of him came from, but it just seemed like the only thing that would give her slight peace of mind. But really, why would he even care what happened to her? If anything, he would be more than happy to be done with the risk she represented by living. She guessed she just needed the reassurance to keep calm.

She saw his shoulders tighten instantly. Austin hated hearing the genuine pain and fear in her voice but worse, he hated how it affected him so much. It went right through him, her request something so simple, and yet, he seethed at how this one person was making his job so damn hard.

He didn't say anything as he took a step back and the large metal doors made a whining sound, beginning to draw open. Ally wondered if he even cared enough to answer her plea and was about to slap herself for thinking he would even give two shits, when she was brought back by the sensation of a strong arm wrapping around her small waist and pulling her in quite close. Ally silently gasped, astounded at his bipolar actions as he leaned down, his eyes still forward on the gate.

"Stay close and act normal." He squeezed her side attentively. She looked into his eyes and watched them soften just barely as they gazed into hers. But almost like he abruptly saw something that he didn't want to see, he quickly looked away and clenched his jaw firmly.

"I will do all I can to keep you safe. I promise." It came out like a restricted hiss through his teeth. But it was good enough for her.

Ally didn't have time to react before she was practically being dragged across a large compound, stunned by the large private property that was rammed with motorcycles. She gulped to moisten her dry throat as it was all quickly becoming a stark reality. A very wide and large barn-like building stood in the middle of it all, lit up and busy with activity. Austin knew the place would be packed like it usually was on the weekends and being a nice night like it was, it was common for a few members to spill out and socialize outside for a smoke. Austin approached the doorway quickly with her at his side, trying to avoid any stares or unwanted socializations from stragglers outside. Thinking he was finally catching a break, it ended quickly when he stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of the Deadwood County Police car parked out front.

"Shit," he cussed under his breath as his blood ran cold. "What is _that _doing here?"

Did something go wrong already?! He bet it was that scum Marco…He cursed again. His muscles beginning to cease, he knew he had to be quick on his feet. So without a moment's delay, he thought of something and held tight to a quiet Ally, towing them around to the back room entrance. In there, Austin could stow her away without anyone seeing and then go find out what was going on with this cop presence in the house before approaching the high members and his father with his little mess. Ally knew something was wrong the moment she felt Austin freeze beside her at the sight of the cop car and wondered if this had anything to do with her as they crouch-ran along the wall in the dark.

Stealthily creeping in to the secluded office-like room, Austin cracked the door to see if anyone by any chance was in there. Thanking god for the coast being clear, he signaled Ally to come in.

"Sit." He ordered once he closed the door and drew down the blinds.

Ally, against her annoyance of being told what to do again, did what he said and lowered herself onto a plush red futon. The room was poorly lit, the only illumination coming from a desk lamp which sat on top of a big wooden desk stacked with papers. She looked curiously around but couldn't see much of the fixtures or wall décor in the dimness.

Austin stood before her pacing back and forth, looking like the night was finally taking his toll on him. He was being spread way to thin for one evening and didn't know how much more he could take without finally snapping. His tall form rigid and on edge, she could hear him mumbling a repeated curse word continuously until he halted and turned to her.

"I'm going to see what's going on." Crouching down to her eye level, he made all gestures to ensure that he had her full undivided attention and she could tell he meant business. "Don't. Move. You stay in this room. I'll even lock you in so nobody will bother you and you'll be safe. But if you try to make a break for it or do anything to piss me off further…"

"You'll find me and I'll regret, I know. I won't do anything. I promise." Ally said it all in one breath, needing him far away from her for her mind to be reliable. She stopped breathing and her chest involuntarily tightened when the vivid images of him killing her in numerous ways ran through her head in a rush.

He was surprised at how complying she was suddenly being. It made him slightly suspicious of her but he knew she was too scared of the consequences to try and do anything. He could feel it coming off her in waves.

"Good girl." He appraised mockingly, like she was a child. He then rose to his feet and went to the other door leading into a hallway.

"I'll be right back." He held her gaze and as his husky voice dimmed with threatening authority, all niggling thoughts of trying to run vanished from Ally mind in fright. He ducked out swiftly, the lock rolling over loudly.

She was alone.

In a strange room. In a strange place. Not knowing if she was going to make it to dawn alive.

She only realized then that she was shaking with terror.

* * *

**Austin's POV**

Once I locked the door on her with the key, I paused for a second in the shadows of the dark hallway to catch my breath for the first time all night. Fisting the ends of my hair in frustration, I tried to center my mind and priorities before I walked in the main bar looking all out of wits. No one has ever seen me at a loss for how to deal with a problem and I damn sure wasn't going to start now, even if it was the truth. My reputation is everything to me and I can't risk having people begin to think I was losing my touch over this. I thrived off of the impression people took from one look at me, knowing very well it's what comes with the territory I built around myself. So needless to say, it was seriously bruising my ego that I was having to come to my father and his highly respected men to help me figure out what to do, but what other choice did I have?! This night was a wreck from hell and with every curve ball possible being thrown my way, even I can't handle everything. I growled to myself. If only Dez was here, he would know what to say to cool me down before going in. Matter of fact, where was that little deserter anyway? One minute he was with me in the party, and the next he was gone probably hooking up with some chick. I reminded myself to strangle him when I saw him next for leaving me alone to deal with this bullshit.

Sighing, I pushed off the wall and squared my shoulders, walking tall down the corridors towards the rising sound of familiar bustling voices. I eventually stepped into the dimmed bar light, shrouded by the cloud of tobacco smoke. In an instant, the common hush of noise soon followed like it always does whenever my presence is sensed in a room. No one freely tried to meet my gaze and I was glad because one little thing in my state, could set me off. Even though many of our men were older than me, I was more experienced and equipped with this life than all of them put together. They knew not to fuck around with me. The rowdy men and prospects stuffed the place to capacity; drinking, playing pool, or socializing. I typically enjoyed the clubhouse atmosphere and usually after a hard night, I too would have liked to pull up a seat with a beer in my hand and a girl on my lap. But obviously, God had other plans for me tonight.

Noting I haven't seen a cop in sight yet, my suspicion peaked. I put on my most composed expression as I made my way through the room, being greeted submissively once or twice. I ambled on over to the board room when I noticed that the doors were closed and a guard was placed outside, signalling that a meeting was currently in session. This must be where everyone was, I could even hear faint voices through the thick wooden doors. I began to prepare myself. The door guard smirked knowingly when he saw me approach.

"What the hell have you done this time, kid? They've been waiting for you."

I was taken completely aback by the knowledge that the club had already been alerted and slightly panicked that the cops present were more the real deal than I thought. But no one seemed to be trying to warn me, so what was up? I was expecting to have to come and spill all my guts to them but by having them already know about the body, my situation probably just go much worse.

_Jesus Christ. _

"You don't even want to know, trust me. What's with the squad car out front? Is it legit?"

He chuckled to himself at my nonchalant answer, and then shook his head. "No, it's just Carver." I visibly relaxed immensely. "He was on the scene for a party shut down when he got word from your old man of some major fuck up involving you. He's here to relay what happened like usual and let's just say the big boss is well pissed."

"Try and show me a time when he's not." I mumbled, rubbing my thumb and forefinger over my closed eyes to relieve the tension. This just was not my night. I shook out my hands, trying to loosen up. It wasn't real cops, which was good. It was only Officer Carver who was as dirty a cop as they come, loyally employed to the club. I was safe. For now. "Okay, okay. I'm going in. Wish me luck."

The guard laughed rather outwardly as he turned to open the door.

"Like _that's_ going to help you."

Ignoring his dumbass comment, I walked straight in and closed the door in his face.

Right away, I moved forward to speak, not caring if I was interrupting my surprised superiors.

"How much do you know?"

Each head whipped in my direction wide eyed as they saw me there and a silencing blanket suffocated the entire space, the tension clearly palpable. The large meeting table was surrounded by the club's council, all highly respected men of the club. My momentary outburst stunned all of us, each face of a different man I grew up around assessing me with the same weary expression of shock and frustration. As I studied each one and tried to gouge the severity of my situation from them, I fell on Nate's face briefly that only gave off his typical business-like demeanor. My stomach twisted as I regretfully shifted to finally seek out the gaze of my father, that I felt burning me the second I walked through the door. He was standing by the window at his head of the table, Carver next to him. He had a phone to his ear that he pulled away the instant he finally caught my eyes. His eyes snap with white hot fire and recognition.

"Where the FUCK have you been?! I have been calling you nonstop for the past hour!"

Everyone seemed to shift in their seats at my father's raised voice. Luke Carver, the sheriff for Deadwood County police force, let out a deep breath. He had been under my father's payroll for quite a while now. He was the one the club called to clean up or wipe out any unwanted problems that involved _Covenant_ before the cops could get nosy or if they already did, he made it go away one way or another.

"I left my phone in the car, dad." I breathed out tiredly, not knowing where to begin. But it was like watching a figure turn to stone when my father heard my tone. He went deathly rigid as he took me in, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists and his dagger glare pierced me where I stood. His blonde hair looked unruly from stress and I could tell his teeth were locked tight as well by the sharp hold to his face. His features always went jagged and fierce when he was extremely angry, a result from the Moon anger gene. I wasn't frightened or anything, even though he was built like a mountain, but knowing that he was pissed about some aspect that he heard of my evening's events, I knew he definitely wasn't going to like what I had to say about my little surprise in the back.

"You better have a _pristine _explanation for all of this, boy, or I swear on this club, not even your mother can save your hide from me."

I sighed as the awaited onslaught had begun. "Are you going to yell the whole time or are you going to at least let me say my piece?"

His eyes sharpened on me as he snarled. "**_Check who you're fucking speaking to with that attitude_**! I'm in no damn mood for your bullshit, not tonight! Not after what you've caused! "

I scanned the room as all the members stayed silent and stoic. Carver just shoved his hands in his pockets absent-mindedly and tried to look anywhere but at either of us. I quickly wondered if my situation had accumulated to something worse than I had anticipated when I left the scene in the cave. My anger that I attempted to quell all night —that could rival my father's any day—was rising again at a very fast pace.

My father made a terrifying noise as he exploded. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?! DO YOU HAVE ANY REGARD FOR THE PEOPLE OF THIS CLUB?! FOR OUR REPUTATION?!"

I spluttered at his accusation and his need to scream. My self-discipline was quickly cracking and my vision slightly blurred red, but I tried with every ounce of me not to become animalistic like my father always so easily allows himself to do. But of all the things he could have said to get at me, he said that.

"I **_am _**our reputation!" I snapped at him, holding back as best as I could solely out of respect for the men in the room and my own dignity. "I'm the fucking poster child for this club and I take my responsibility very seriously! You **_KNOW_** that!"

"Lately, I don't know **_anything _**with you, Austin!"

"**_STOP_**."

A calm demanding voice suddenly interrupted me and my father's quickly escalating argument, silencing both of us. Pissed that we were interrupted, we both searched to see who the brave soul was, ready to tear them a new one. But we simmered when we saw it was Nate rising from his chair. "Mike, why don't you just cool down for a moment? I think it's best if we all hear what happened from Austin's mouth first before we go out of control here."

Nate Smith, Covenant's VP, spoke up against my father who, if Nate were anyone else, would be dead the instant they said a word to either of us in our enraged states. But this was part of Nate's job as vice—like the unbiased mediator, he had immunity to reel everyone in when the anger takes over in any way possible, and no one could say anything about it.

Not even the President of the club and his highly lethal son.

My dad was nothing if not resistant though. "Don't tell **_me _**to cool down, this is my club. I know what's at stake. I HAVE A RIGHT TO BE THIS WAY!" He glared towards me. "But for his sake, I'll give him five minutes." My dad's breath stayed shallow as he grunted and gave his back to me to face the window, his arms tightly crossed against his chest.

"Okay." Nate turned to me as I tried to keep a hold on myself but it was getting almost impossible. His expression was full of disappoint and it sickened me. I hated being looked at like I did something wrong. I growled in annoyance and fury, my father's mood and this whole god damn night quickly starting to visibly show on me. Clearly, there was something else bugging my dad for him to blow up on me this big. Well, bigger than usual. "Aust, you have the floor. Use it wisely; you're on pretty thin ice it seems."

"I understand,**_ thanks_**." I spat rudely. All eyes then fell on me to speak. "Okay, first off, how did you guys find out everything so soon? It just happened like less than an hour ago…"

I heard my father rumble something crude from his throat. I squeezed my eyes to stop myself from retaliating. What's _really _happened that's pissing him off? Is it because of Fury's involvement through Marco? Did he know I had my witness still alive in the backroom maybe? At the thought of her, I quickly tried to dismiss her from my thoughts. She was the last thing I should be thinking about right now. **_She fucking caused all of this._**

"Dom Di Santis contacted your dad, kid."

"**_WHAT_**_?!_"

I was totally caught off guard with that news. I rounded on Kevin Brookes who had spoke up to answer my question from the seat to my left. A true blood like myself, he was a direct descendant of the Deadwood Originals that started Covenant. In fact, most of the council was, in some form or another.

He looked intently at me as I looked incredulously at everyone else in shock. They all nodded their heads and said small things in agreement. My father looked like he was about to snap the closest standing person in half. I realized then amidst my disbelief, that this must be what's got him all riled up. He had heard of my fuck up from the President of Hell's Fury shoving it at him. Dom Di Santis. Marco's father. I tightened my hands in fists.

"Yeah, rubbed it right in his face too of how his kid Marco beat you at your own game tonight like it was nothing." Someone else spoke up.

"Told us **_everything_**_,_ Aust." Said another.

Kevin took lead again. "Yeah, even right down to how he killed your assignment and left you there with the body and a witness to boot." He shook his head. "Worst part is, after he said some garbage about how there was no way for even you to get out of the situation they put you in, he had the balls to brag to your dad about how if it was so easy to pull something over on _you_, whose reputation surpasses anyone's, than it's going to be easy to do to Deadwood Covenant as a whole."

I was shaking in rage, speechless from what I was hearing and seething with all my hatred towards the Di Santis family. I **_hated_** _Hell's Fury_ for playing fucking cheap and dirty. I hated them for antagonizing and goading my father with novice tactics. This was getting out of hand and I was losing patience fast.

My father took my anger-bubbling silence as his opportunity to speak up again. He thrusted his finger accusingly at me.

"You're **_fucking lucky_** that little shit Marco and the prick that spawned him made a rookie mistake and threw around their victories, or else I wouldn't have been able to retaliate so quickly and you'd be rotting in jail right now!" He roared, getting everyone's attention once more. "If it wasn't for Carver here coincidentally being on the scene already for that party shut down tonight with his phone handy, that body would still be there and their stupid little plan to get you out of the picture for good might have actually worked! You already know the cops are just **dying **to lock you up!"

"I fixed it, Austin. The cave is spotless and the body's currently in the trunk of my cruiser. I'm going to dispose of it once I leave here, but..." Officer Carver who has decided to speak for the first time paused. "It was a close one. Really close."

The vein in my father's neck pulsated to an inhumanely fast beat. He clenched all his muscles and went stiff again as he lowered his voice and eyes threateningly. "Boy, you're good at what you do for this club but with this whole dealer's assignment, you're really starting to get out of control and sloppy as hell, putting us all at risk! You better stop this now before it's too late because **_so help me god_**, I will die before I let you drag the rest of us and all that your grandfather built **_down with you_**!"

His last words boomed across the room and slightly stung me but more so pissed me off, since he hasn't even let me say my side of the story. I respected him for his authority and usually, he isn't this out of control with me but when it came to the club and its business, especially when involving _Fury_, family was the last thing on either of our minds. He was just so pissed of being provoked by_ Fury_ that he didn't care about the minor details. The club's authority was everything to him.

An eerie silence and very heavy audible breathes was all that anyone could mange right now. No one moved to speak. I stood there, boundlessly fuming from everything that was being relayed to me. I didn't think my night could become anymore of a hell than it was. But I was clearly wrong. My limits were breached as far as they could possibly go without breaking and opening the flood gates of my pure wrath upon everyone and everything. Something needed to be done.

I had to explain myself.

"**_You don't understand_**. **_None of you._**" I hissed from between my teeth. "I had everything under control. It was all going according to plan; Devon was as good as dead. But as I was about to kill him, I realized I had been breached and someone was watching me from the shadows." The table erupted into silent murmurs. My father, cold as stone, stayed silent as he watched me. I went on to settle the men. "I was careless, I know. But it's not like it isn't a risk we all have to factor in when going out on any job. So obviously, I was going to kill Devon, silence my witness and clean up my loose ends. But before I could even **_breathe_**, everything fell out of my control! Marco fucking ambushed me out of nowhere and next thing I know, I was left with a dead body, a hysteric girl, and cops **_five seconds_** away from me! **_The situation couldn't have set itself up more perfectly!_**" My breathing was so heavy; I wouldn't be surprised if the door guard and the men outside the room could hear me. I stared straight at my father, who didn't move to speak but his eyes told me everything he was thinking.

"**_IT WAS NOT MY FAULT_**! It was all a very shitty matter of wrong place, wrong time and it just happened to work out exactly for Marco and his pack of ass sniffers! It doesn't mean I'm losing my touch!" I was practically panting.

"I am **_not _**sloppy." I said. "**_I know what I am doing, god dammit_**!"

"Austin—" Nate called on me to try and gain my attention before I fully flew off the handle.

"**_Shut up, Nate!_**" I growled deeply in his direction, finally hitting my boiling point. "This is **_fucking retarded_**! I've had it up to **_here _**with Hell's Fury getting involved in our business and with the stupid little games they're playing! I will **_not _**let my reputation get shit on by twisted stories and cheap set-ups!"

"Where is she now?"

My father's voice was so silent and different from before as he interrupted me, but instead of the loudness of it, it was like all his anger and agitation took it away and replaced it with a deathly low tone that I couldn't decide if it was more intimidating than his shrieking.

"Who?" I questioned stubbornly, knowing exactly who he was talking about.

"Don't play dumb, Austin. **_The witness_**. What did you do with her?"

"He silenced her indefinitely, probably. That's what's supposed to be done." Nate said to my father. They looked at each other and shared something unspoken, the both turned to look at me, making me uncomfortable with their inquisition. I refused to look at my father but Nate's expression changed to one that looked slightly confused as he gouged me. "I am right…right?"

I became absolutely frozen solid, knowing soon they would catch on. I tried to the best of my ability to hide my panic from everyone in the room, especially my dad. It wasn't so hard, I was good at it, but after the exhaustion of the night, my walls were too weak to properly barricade and hide myself behind. I knew that the whole point of me deciding to bring her here was to allow the men to decide if she would live or not. And I had accepted that, telling myself she was just a stupid girl who deserved whatever she got as long as it was far from involving me anymore.

Until now.

It was a gut wrenching reality now as all the men stared me in the face. The whole table watched me suspiciously when I didn't instantly move to refute Nate's accusation and I could see them slowly snapping the pieces together, small flashes of confusion and angered astonishment running across all their features. The club's view on having witnesses in any situation involving the club were perfectly clear;

A dead man can't speak of what he sees.

A small part of me thought that the council might have let her live and let her go home if I presented my story well enough for them. For all incentive purposes, she really was innocent. But after the phone call from Di Santis and all the harboured pent up anger for _Fury_ being released at the notion of Covenant being so outwardly challenged like this tonight, I knew she was just as dead as Devon was. She was a liability and liabilities were lose ends.

I did not anticipate this meeting going like this at all.

My father's eyes widened and he curled his lip menacingly. "**_Answer_**. **_Him_**. Where is she, Austin?" I started at him expressionless, my face a blank slate. Never in my life have I not had my answers for people planned out 3 or 4 steps ahead. I was always pre-prepared. But right now, in this moment, I didn't have a clue on how to answer him properly.

And I blamed her.

He gaped and sucked in air sharply as the final pieces fell into place. "She's here, isn't she?"

I clenched my jaw at his accuracy. I guessed my face instantly showed some form of recognition, because my father knew, there was no denying it now. I can't figure out for the life of me why I'm unable to form any plan, idea, or excuse…I'm frozen solid with a hard look on my face.

It was like my body already knew and was preparing before my mind even registered anything.

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY **_BRAIN DEAD_**!? NOT ONLY DID YOU NOT **_KILL_** THE WITNESS BUT YOU **_BROUGHT HER ONTO CLUB PROPERTY_**?!" he bellowed. "DO YOU WANT US ALL TO GO TO JAIL?! YOU COMPLETE **_IDIOT_**!"

"I BROUGHT HER HERE TO KEEP AN EYE ON HER UNTIL I COULD PASS A FUCKING VOTE ON IT, DAD! I HAVE **_NEVER _**BEEN PUT IN THIS HARD A SITUATION BEFORE, I NEEDED TIME!" I exploded.

"Oh **_really_**?! You couldn't have just **_KILLED _**her and saved yourself all this trouble and **_risk_**?!"

"I-I.." I was cut short. I didn't know how to answer. Why was Nate not stopping us?! Now would be a good time..

"YOU **_WHAT_**, AUSTIN?!" He hollered impatiently.

"I-I **_CAN'T_**! I JUST CAN'T!"

"WHAT AREN'T YOU TELLING ME?!"

And like his damn had finally ruptured, my father shoved Carver into the wall out of his way and charged me from his end of the room in the matter of 2 seconds. All the men at the table jumped from their seats and a frenzy seemed to have begun. Before I could process it and move to get away from his reach, my father grabbed my jacket roughly in fistfuls and slammed me to the wall. I grunted as he smacked me hard against it once more, mildly disorienting me.

"You listen to me, my **_son_**." He whispered venomously. "You have pissed me off for the **_last time_** tonight. Now, you are going to leave this room, you are going to go get this girl wherever you stashed her, and you are going to deliver a nice little **_bullet_** to her **_skull_** like you should have already done. Then you are going to create an alibi for this party and we can put your mess behind us. I will not be made a fool of by _Hell's Fury_! **_AM I CLEAR_**?!"

Time was frozen still. **_How dare he challenge me like this. In front of everyone. _**

There was only two people on this planet that would **_ever _**get away with putting their hands on me like this and besides my mother, who would never really dare to do something like this, the other was currently doing so right now. The only difference is if my father escalated soon, I wouldn't hesitate to retaliate. My father bore his raged eyes into my skull as I tried to look as unfazed as I could by his attempt to intimidate me. But suddenly, I felt a fresh flow of rage, a second wind that was so powerful that I didn't even know I could possess, build in the pit of my stomach. As my father gripped me, it started off slow but it was building fast, spreading to every inch of body. At first, I thought it was because he was man handling me like I was a child, not a twenty year old man, fully capable of challenging him if I was disrespectful enough. Then I thought it was because he was doing this all in front of our most trusted friends and club members, threatening my reputation and personal morals. But finally, as my father shook me and continued to bark shit at me that I couldn't hear do to the pounding of blood sounding off in the ears, I knew it was because he was forcing and physically pushing me over the edge to break a promise.

A promise I made to the girl.

Her pained voice echoed in my head as I remembered her silently asking me to keep her safe and it fuelled my rage like I had the strength of 10 men. I snapped my dark gaze at my dad.

I growled so deeply and aggressively, that it momentarily shocked my father enough for me to grab his hold on my leather jacket and grip him tightly back. But instead of shoving him off, I pulled him closer to me so I could look directly in his eye.

"**_I won't kill an innocent girl_**." I whispered vehemently back to him with anger-infused promise. "She may have been fucking stupid for not minding her own business, but she's just scared." I paused to emphasize my point. "I may be a monster, but I still have **_some_** morals. This is one of them, fuck what you or **_what anyone else_** thinks."

All the noise in the room coming from the protesting men trying to stop my father, shut up immediately. I had never in all of my years of being a part of this club refused to kill someone. It struck them all speechless.

And not even I knew the reason why I did so now.

I was telling myself it was because I made her a promise but I knew that wasn't fully it. I hated her so much for what she has indirectly done to me tonight and I couldn't wait to kick her the hell out of my life. But no matter what, I couldn't kill her. I just couldn't. **_And. I. Don't. Know. Why. _**

My father's pupils dilated at my outright refusal, engulfing his whole eyes in black, and with a deep rumble from his throat like the angry animal he is, he raised his hand high like he was preparing to strike me.

But before any one of us could tell him 'enough 'or I could push him away, the wooden doors of the meeting room burst open and in walked my grandfather and Charlie McCormick.

They were chuckling about something that was just said between them but both of their amused attitudes dropped the moment they sensed the high emotion in the room and took in the scene of my father trapping me against the wall. My grandfather locked eyes with me immediately.

"What the hell is going on here?" My grandpa Attie, the Creator of Deadwood_ Covenant_, became serious and authoritative without a second wasted. He was 72 but still intimidated men like he was my age. Hell, like he was **_me. _**He attentively scanned the room, his button up flannel and jeans making him look like any regular dude, minus the riding jacket. All the council surrounding the table instantly sat down in silence and respect while I felt my father stiffen at the sight of his own father. Dez's grandpa, Charlie, glanced at the other men confusingly and tried to figure out what was happening. Obviously this kind of thing isn't what happens at usual meetings.

"Michael, Austin! What the bloody hell is wrong with you two?!"

Snapping out of our rage induced power trips, we both released each other with hard shoves and grunts, like we were two strangers in a bar fight or something. But nothing like a father and son.

Either way, there was no way in hell either of us was going to continue this in front of him.

"Hello, father. You always do have **_impeccable_** timing when it comes to this one." He spat at the both of us as he moved backwards to his seat, staring at me like he wished nothing more than to follow through with what was just interrupted.

I just stood there; blanking out my face once more, making it seem like I was bored and that nothing bothered me.

"What happened? Explain this **_right now_**." There was no arguing with him when he asked for something, especially in that quickly elevating tone of frustration of his. It seems none of us Moon's knew how to control our tempers.

"Why don't you ask you grandson." My father said as he sat in his seat and folded his hands, looking professional and deadly. "He's the reason for most of our problems nowadays, isn't he?"

I glared at my father, wishing I could just knock his lights out and call it a night.

"Without the commentary, Michael." My dad blinked but unruffled a bit at the request of his father. "Austin? Care to explain then?"

It took me a good 5 seconds before I turned my attention to my grandpa. He looked thoroughly confused. "My assignment got compromised tonight by some Fury members who have now decided to take their bullshit to the next level of interference in our affairs. They've stepped up to direct contact." I sighed, irritated. "So long story short, gramps? I was left with a body, a witness, and cops on my ass, forcing me to make a difficult decision that not everyone is agreeing on."

"I see." He tightened visibly at the mention of _Fury_. Grandpa loathes anything that has to involve them, especially their leading family. This rivalry was obviously age old and starting to get really personal.

He then looked at Carver with his scary grey eyes and the officer instantly froze. Not many people didn't fear grandpa. If anyone beats me in reputation stats, it's him.

"And why are you here, Luke? I'm assuming you dealt with this obviously or else Austin would be rotting in a cell right now, am I right?"

"Y-yes, sir. That's correct." He stuttered. "I handled the situation at the scene. It's like nothing was ever there. Wiped clean."

"Okay then." Grandpa looked at Charlie incredulously like he couldn't see the true issue and then turned to my father who still hadn't moved from his previous position in his seat. "So what is there still left to discuss then?" His voice rose slightly. He was becoming annoyed, I could tell. I remained still against my stance on the wall.

My father's face contorted. "HE LEFT HIS WITNESS **_ALIVE_**! HE BROUGHT HER HERE!"

Grandpa's eyebrows furrowed at hearing this, and appraised me with, not a disappointed feeling, but one that was just trying to find out the facts behind everything first. Everyone was still quietly listening and absorbing.

"Why would you do this, Austin?" His voice stayed surprisingly calm and even.

I growled. "I don't know, okay? I needed to buy myself some more time, I couldn't just kill her and run, leaving not one but **_TWO_** bodies behind on the scene! It would have made things worse! So I thought to bring her here and let the council decide what we should do with her like the **_organized_** **_club we are_**." I directed that last comment directly to my father's face with relish. He needed to realize my intentions and stop being so blinded by his bruised pride delivered from Dom Di Santis.

Grandpa nodded at my explanation. "It seems to me that you did what you needed to."

"Michael, what are you suggesting we do about this?" Charlie spoke up.

My dad huffed and I swear I could see steam come from his ears. But I could also tell he was trying to control the anger in his voice when he talked to Charlie. "I told him already, Charlie." He worded through his squeezed shut teeth. "He needs to get rid of her. She is a loose end that needs to be severed immediately."

"No."

Every single head twisted in the direction of my grandfather. Some weird sensation went through my chest.

"No **_what_**, dad?" My father was having a hard time not losing his cool again.

"We don't kill her. Not until I've seen her and assessed the situation myself. I will give the final verdict since we are having such a conflict over this one measly witness."

I cursed myself as I realized I let out a breath I didn't know I was harbouring for her and a massive amount of tension left me. The men in the room made murmuring comments but never moved to outwardly question grandpa.

"**_FINE_**." My father snarled keeping his eyes planted on the opposite wall, refusing to look at anyone unless he finally snaps again. Nate stared at my father, hoping he would see sense again. He never acted like this, only with me.

"Austin, come. Bring me to her." Grandpa said as he approached the door again. I moved to follow him, but not before I tried to see if my father would look at me again. I didn't mean for this to happen like this but he's relentless. He never listens to me when it comes to matters involving _Hell's Fury. _

As we walked out and began to make our way to the back room where she was, I couldn't help wondering if she was okay and how scared she must be.

* * *

**Ally's POV **

It had been over half an hour since Austin left me in this dark office room and I have not moved a muscle out of my position in fear that he would burst in any moment and kill her dead for trying to run. But I was dying of exhaustion, the escapades of tonight taking their toll.

I was surprising myself by not crying or even panicking anymore. I just sat on the red futon, curled with my knees to my chest and my arms wrapped tightly around them, anticipating what was going to happen next. Was I going to live? Was Austin going to keep his promise? Is he even to be trusted or was I just a complete moron?

I haven't prayed in a long time, but I did tonight as I sat in silence awaiting my fate, as Austin said. I prayed to God that I got home safe and that no one would try to hurt me. I also prayed that if I _were_ to die, that it was quick and painless and it wasn't done by Austin's hand. For some reason, I felt this connection of trust to him—which is absolutely _insane—_but I did. And if he were to end me, I couldn't help feeling like I was being betrayed somehow.

My thoughts were interrupted by a faint noise of a key in a lock, and I froze still with baited breath. I released my tucked legs and planted them on the ground but remained seated. The door that Austin had previously exited out of suddenly opened and a large old man walked in tall, his white thinning hair standing out in the darkness. I squinted to see his face but I was scared nonetheless.

'Who are you? Are you here to kill me?" I questioned shakily.

Just when I began to entertain the idea that he was sent to kill me, I saw another shadow crowd the doorway and realized it was a familiar one.

"It's alright, Ally. No one's here to kill you." He stepped in next to the old man who just looked me up and down assessing. He made me nervous. In the little amount of light, I could still see the large increase of stress lines and tiredness adorning Austin's taught features. He remained against the door frame.

'Then what's going on? Who is he?"

"I'm no one really important…Ally, is it?"

"Yes." I whispered. I didn't know why out of all times possible, my energy depletion chose now to start to affect me. My limbs were becoming very heavy but I struggled to stay fully attentive.

He started to approach me, his light eyes still studying me. I cringed away by his closeness.

"It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you." He soothed. He stopped about two feet in front of me.

I looked up at him and he didn't look particularly scary. He was an old man, for Christ's sake. But something about him reminded me of Austin and the authoritative air that surrounded both of them that seemed to demand something. Obedience?

"You're right, Austin. She's just scared. Look at her, she's about to pass out." He then knelt down to my eye level, like Austin had done before but without all the menacing demeanour.

"Ally." He spoke rather sweetly. "I understand you saw something you shouldn't have tonight, am I correct?"

I gulped. All I could manage was a nod.

"And I hope you understand it's none of your business, yes?" I nodded robotically again.

"Then you can leave." I wanted to cry out in elation at his words. I'm not going to die.

"**_But_**," he went on a little more serious and harsher. His face was beginning to blur together in my vision. "If we come across the knowledge that you have told absolutely a **_single_** soul of what you witnessed tonight in Austin's company, I will revoke my mercy and you will not like the end results, I can assure you. Am I **_understood,_** Ally?"

His eyes bore into mine and he instilled more fear into me from one sentence than anything that I saw the whole night. My exhaustion overcoming me, my eyelids began to droop as I mustered the energy to answer him with as much conviction as I could. "I just want to go home." It was barely a whisper.

"Good." He was back to being gentler again. He got up from his position and offered his hand to help me rise from my seat. I hesitantly grabbed it but as I went to stand, I didn't realize how weak my body really was. My legs buckled beneath me.

But the old man caught me before I could crumble to the ground in fatigue, Austin suddenly beside me as well.

"You know what...Take her back to my place. she can barely stand and you don't know where she even lives. At least this way once she's rested and calmed by morning, I can talk more convincing sense into her to keep her mouth shut and make sure she isn't a problem. I'll take care of your father and the rest of the council. I don't see why this innocent girl has to die and if **_I_** don't, then they shouldn't either. So go, I'll follow along shortly.."

"Wait, what?! Are you crazy? But-"

_"Just do it, Austin."_

Through my faintly blurring vision, I saw Austin step beside me and put his arm around my body to support me.

"Let's go." He mumbled. But when I went to move, I barely made two steps as a surging head rush overcame me.

Austin grumbled something incoherent.

"Austin, just carry the damn girl. She's in no state to walk."

At his suggestion, I stiffened and began to protest as I saw Austin reach to knock my legs out from under me. But I guess I wasn't convincing because sure enough, he was soon scooping me up and holding me bridal style, his strong arms cradling me tightly to his chest like it was nothing. He looked down at me briefly with a strange expression and looked like he was the walking dead. I myself tried to stay awake but my weariness was pulling me down quick.

"Okay, go. Now—" The old man was cut off by the slamming open of the door. I lolled my head up from Austin's shoulder to see who it was, and felt Austin go completely hard as a board around me.

The scary man takes us all in slowly and nods, but the look on his face is thunderous but controlled.

"You have made your verdict then." His voice was deep and dark.

"I have. There is no reason for her to be disposed of. She just wants to go home, Michael. Probably to her family and loved ones. Once she's rested, I will talk to her again and then it will be like she never existed. So let her go."

The man, who bore an uncanny resemblance to both Austin and his grandfather, had eyes wide like dinner plates. It was clear he wanted to argue about this decision.

"And you are sure about this?" He said through gritted teeth.

"Yes, Michael. She's harmless." He said it with finality. The man nodded again in strained acceptance and then through my grogginess, I saw him turn to look me dead in the eye. I gasped. He approached me in Austin's arms faster than I have ever seen anyone move.

He grabbed my face tightly between one of his hands and I cried out, weakly struggling with my last ounce of energy. Austin said something rude in protest, surprising me completely. His grip on my body so tight and firm that I thought he was going to squeeze me to death. I could tell he could only do anything if he released me to have his hands free, but he didn't seem to want to do that.

The man looked me closer in the eye as he turned my face forcefully. "You even think about breathing a word about what you saw tonight or what you **_think _**you know, I'll hunt you down and kill you myself before you can utter a dingle syllable. Do I make myself clear?"

I gulped. "Crystal." I breathed as sincerely as I could, trying not to sob and cry again.

"Good. Now **_get out_**. And pray you never meet me again." He let go when Austin jerked me quickly from the man's grasp and stepped back in case he did something else. But the scary blonde man just stormed from the room without looking back.

"Go." The old man whispered to Austin, as he too exited the room after the scary guy, looking at them once more.

Austin made a deep growling sound as he turned and carried me out the back down into the now nippy air. It seemed like it was fairly close to dawn or at least it felt that way. I was slipping in and out of consciousness and didn't even want to hold on any-more. I felt myself being jostled and juggled as Austin jogged lightly across the lot, hearing him swearing avidly about something along the way. I just tucked my head in his neck and shoulder, inhaling his scent and enjoying the warmth for as long as I could. I didn't know where I was going, I didn't know whose home I was being brought to, but all I understand was that I was alive for now and Austin had kept his promise to me somehow. I was so incoherent as I tried to stay awake, afraid of what would come with sleep, but it was like my body was going into to shut down mode.

Austin was now walking down the dark street back down towards where we first came. Maybe it was my head playing tricks with me and my over exhaustion fragmented things, but I could have sworn the last thing I heard before fully blacking out was him saying something to me, or himself. I wasn't sure.

"Who the hell are you and what are you doing to me?"

* * *

**No One's POV**

Austin gently jimmey'd the guest bedroom door in his grandfather's house while holding tightly to the fast asleep girl in his arms, silent even breaths emitting from her parted lips. Ally had tried her hardest to stay alert and she fought it as best as she could but in the end, her fatigue overcame her and pulled her under. To be honest, Austin didn't know what his grandfather was thinking by bringing her into his home for the night. The man had finally gone insane. He personally just wanted to be rid of her and all the drama as soon as possible. Austin was glad his witness conked out from exhaustion back at the clubhouse, himself being too tired to muster up explanations and threats for her any more. Contrary to what everyone thinks, he needed time to recover too from whatever that was back there. If not from that, than from everything else that weighed him down that night.

He stepped quietly into the darkness of the room. In the dark, he took in the plain room and spotted the bed. Not wasting any time, he headed straight for it. As he moved to softly place her down on the blankets, she clung to him momentarily, her face digging into the crook of his neck involuntarily in refusal. And as her warm breath hit the exposed flesh around his jaw, he clenched his entire body at the weird sensation it emitted in him, having someone actually refusing to leave his embrace. It was a foreign feeling. He moved to pry her off of him instantly. Making a sleepy groaning noise as she curled into the comfort of the bed beneath her, Austin let out a huge gust of air as he ran his hands through his hair in a moment of relief, closing his eyes. He was finally done with her and now he could get the hell out of there and get back to his life, his world, that was a massive shitstorm from the trouble she caused. He had so much crap to get to, so many things that needed his attention back at the clubhouse. But despite all of the responsibilities he knew he had, despite every part of him screaming to jet it out of there and leave the rest to grandpa, all his system could seem to compute was to look down at the sleeping girl studiously. It was the first time he really saw the pretty girl. He saw how small and innocent she looked lying there and felt an odd and unknown satisfaction with himself for not killing her, which was a strange new feeling for him. But he knew deep down that for everything she had stirred up for him tonight, she didn't deserve a fate like Devon and Trey and was glad grandpa chose to spare her.

Before he knew better of what he was doing, he reached out timidly and removed her shoes from her feet placing them to the ground and gathered the duvet at the end of her bed around her body, securing it tightly around her. Astounded by the curiosity he had for this random girl, he even dared to tuck the stray hair away from her face and place the tiniest of feather-like caresses along her exposed cheek bone, its softness a stark contract to his rough calloused fingers. She sighed gently and mewled sleepy nonsense rather cutely.

"I told you I'd try and keep you safe. I don't break promises."

Once he soon caught himself automatically stupidly smiling at her child like gesture and thinking of how intriguing her innocence had been to him since he met her, he gathered what was left of his senses and suddenly stepped far away from her appalled of his ridiculous and uncharacteristic behaviour. Austin shook his head viscously like it would rid his thoughts of the weird directions they were going in. But he stood there confused as of where to go. Should he leave? Does he go back home and leave her with someone she isn't familiar with?

"Dammit."

He ground his teeth at his absurdity and at the fact that he even has to ask such dumb questions. But regardless of all the reasons saying to go home, he pulled up the large chair from the desk beside him and fell in it comfortably, onlooking her.

He was out like a light.

* * *

**A/N: **

**Reviews? **


	9. Predator

**A/N:**

**Yay, oh my gosh. School's over, finals are over, summer break is here. **

**I. Can. Finally. Write!**

**We are at 100+ reviews with only 8 chaps. That's so so great, oh man! Your comments are so nice and heart warming and motivating, and they make me want to update so fast! Now that summer break is here, I can write when I get home from work and just relax!**

**Here ya go.**

**P.S. I'm going to start posting a song for each chapter. Just something I used as inspiration and what I feel sums up what's going on (feelings, situations, relationships, etc.)…Well, we'll try it out. **

**So this chapter song is …Imagine Dragons -"Demons"**

* * *

Running water. It was the first thing I heard when I finally came to from my very hazy sleep. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little pissed that it had woke me up (and early at that) from my very entertaining dream staring a very attractive boy. So at an attempt to return to it, I pulled the warm blanket around me tighter and nuzzled my face deeper into the soft pillow with a comfortable groan. But as I began to float away again, my body feeling strangely more exhausted and achy than usual, it finally dawned on me that the sound of rushing water was coming from my bathroom a few paces away, which meant someone was using my shower. But the only person it could possibly be was my father. Why would he be taking a shower in my room instead of his own? It didn't make sense. Almost deciding on just forgetting about it completely since my head was pounding like I had repeatedly rammed it threw a wall; the sudden noise of someone pulling a screechy shower curtain grabbed my attention from sleep again. I was a little curious as to what my dad was doing in there so I groggily opened my eyes without moving from my comfy sleeping position. But I regretted it the second I did so.

I caught my breath harshly and suddenly felt like I was just injected with straight adrenaline into my bloodstream, my defensive mode kicking in almost instantaneously.

This **_isn't _**my room, that **_isn't_** my shower, so that's **_most definitely _**not my dad.

I shot up from the strange bed like a bat out of hell; eyes wide, heart pounding. I soon regretted it though when I ended up with the sunlight filtering in from the curtain right in my eyes. It momentarily blinded me as I grumbled and rubbed the spots in my vision away, but as soon as I could see straight again, I threw my gaze around the unknown bedroom to sense for danger.

But I was alone.

My mind was running wild trying to figure out what was going on. From what I could see, the space was expensively furnished but still fairly small. If I hadn't woken up here without knowing where **_here_**was, I would have called it homely; its faint beige walls kissed by the morning light giving the room a nice warm glow. But instead, all any of it did was make me really anxious. How had I ended up here? Where **_was_** here_?_

I looked down under the blanket and saw I was still in my little black party dress but was stripped of my small jacket and shoes which by the way, were nowhere to be found. I sighed in relief. So that rules out a drunk hook up with some random boy but nonetheless, I still gulped and covered my mouth in embarrassment at the thought. I went to a party last night; that much I can remember. The last hours of my consciousness was still so hazy for me since I had only fully woken up less than point five seconds ago, but as the wheels in my head began to start turning and my mind became more awake and responsive, things were coming back bit by bit. I remembering going to David's party with Trish and talking to him and then…

"Oh my god."

I muffled shakily into my hands, my eyes soon widening in shock. In a sudden wave of realization, everything of the last eight hours of my awareness snapped back to me in an instant. Trish, David, the drinking, the crowded beach, me walking away…

Arguments.

Tears.

Panic.

Threats.

The lingering smell of leather and sweat.

A gunshot.

…And a dead body.

"Jesus Christ."

I almost fell of the bed when it all came back to me, and I suddenly felt very dirty for being in a strangers bed but more because it most likely was some criminal's.

I remember. God, I remember every last second, starting from the party, to the scene in the cave I stumbled upon, to almost getting shot, to watching **_someone else _**get shot…Then cops and being shoved in a car and threatened by scary men a part of something that until last night, I truly believed was all one big terrifying joke Trish was playing on me. A sweet and stern old man, a horrifying adult version of that man…And in the end, what terrified me the most was the **_youngest_** man who whisked me away in his arms; the one person above all I was sternly warned to stay away from at all costs:

Austin Moon.

I had snapped into action before I even realized it. My automatic first thought was to sneak out of the bedroom quietly but swiftly and run to the nearest public street before whoever was enclosed in the bathroom came out, though I already had a good feeling of who it probably was. I ripped the now sweltering blankets from around my lower half in a frenzy and went to step down from the high bed, my eyes dead set on my goal of the closed door directly in front of me. I was so unbelievably naïve; I should have just taken what Trish told me more seriously but in **_my _**reality, it all seemed too outrageous to be real. But after everything I had been through last night; after all the things I saw and heard…I felt like I should really start listening to that little voice of Trish in my head saying to be cautious and paranoid, like there could possibly be someone scary waiting for me on the other side of that wooden barrier to finish up whatever should have been done to me last night.

I shuttered. I should be dead right now. I know I saw things I shouldn't have and because of that, people wanted me gone; dangerous people from a very scary and **_very real_** biker **_gang_**.

Not club. I had a feeling that was just for appearances.

But whatever I had gotten myself into…I wasn't going to stick around for the other shoe to finally drop.

I wasn't that stupid.

When I felt brave enough, I quickly made my move but was soon halted when I stubbed my toe roughly on a large chair I hadn't noticed placed directly at my bedside. My mouth hung open with a silent cry of pain as I went to clutch my foot and clamp a hand over my yelp, not wanting to take a chance of anyone hearing me. But what idiot puts a chair right beside a bed?! In the midst of small tears brimming my eyes in discomfort from my toe injury, I suddenly caught on to a large black jacket strewn over the arm of the chair from the corner of my sight. I stiffened completely, all pain I was just previously enduring evaporated, not from it being any ordinary jacket but because it had the large **_Deadwood Covenant Biker Club _**logo of the grim reaper practically taunting me.

Trying to shake the image from my head and the fresh wave of panic hitting me, my head whipped up to take in the sudden silence.

The running water had cut off.

They—whoever '_they_' were—was done.

I was trying to control my breathing from becoming erratic but it was becoming very difficult with how much I was beginning to freak out. I needed to get out of here, now sooner than ever but that wasn't going to be possible if I was too busy hyperventilating. But no matter what, I couldn't show them I was afraid, it would only make things worse. So keeping my eyes on the closed bathroom door to the side at the same as the one I was headed to in front of me, I tip toed as fast as I could across the soft carpeting to my one and only exit. I reached out and placed my hand on the knob, surprised to find it unlocked. I began to turn it as slowly and vigilantly as I could.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to just pick up and leave without saying goodbye first?"

What shot through my veins and froze me like a glacier the instant I heard _his_ husky and intimidating voice, was nothing short of pure ice. I carefully spun around, now more frightened than ever, and stood as pressed to the door behind me as possible in case the host of the voice was more intimidating than its sound.

"Don't you like me, Ally?" He snickered darkly.

I turned to see the smirking face of Austin Moon, who was having a good time toying with my obvious discomfort. I couldn't grasp what was happening right now, or last night for that matter, and it made me a little slow. But when I finally got over his presence and took in his full appearance, I gasped at once and tried to avert my eyes in another direction.

"St-stay away from me." I stuttered, obviously flustered.

Austin stood before me leaning against the doorway to the bathroom with nothing on but a cocky expression and a small white towel that hung low on his hips. With his wild blonde hair disarrayed and damp, it was so hard not to let my virgin eyes travel down the rest of his inviting body. In that moment, he was even more alluring than I had ever thought.

"What? Never seen a boy naked before? I should've guessed as much…"

Despite his terror-factor and arrogant expression, the man was almost flawless. Almost. He was vaguely covered here and there with faint white scar lines the marred his beautiful tanned skin. Some were jagged, some looked like they were once painful, and from what I could quickly scan, he also had more than a few tattoos. A very large one of the club's Grim Reaper dressed the inside of his forearm fully, the ink dark and shocking. In the pool of morning light he was standing in, he almost glowed as the tiny water droplets from his shower glistened on his half naked body, making me feel like the temperature in the room just shot up a hundred degrees and was becoming suffocating. He was so strongly muscled, more than I had ever seen before; his beautiful and broad defined chest, shoulders, arms and torso prominent. I took in his chiselled v-lines along his slender hips, which could have women begging in seconds. A part of me felt like they've already done that multiple times just from the way he was studiously watching **_me_** watch **_him_**. My stare turned to the small black star inked on his right hip that was peeking out from under the towel.

I gulped viciously at the heat that flashed in his dark eyes.

I tried to look away. I did. But for some reason I was stuck.

He was beautiful.

With my eyes already in a dangerous region, the light trail of hair to his barely covered modesty was finally what made me cough awkwardly and take it upon myself to gain control, moving to cover my eyes from the distraction. My dry throat was suddenly moist and I could just feel my face going beat red from just practically eye-raping him. I was appalled with myself but the whole time as he stood there watching me, he didn't seem to even care. I blushed harder.

"So innocent…" I heard him muttered under his breath. But he just chuckled like he wasn't making me uncomfortable. "Don't worry, looking is always free. It's touching that's going to cost you, baby."

I made a little squeaking noise of surprise at his suggestion but still didn't find the sense to move; afraid he would snap into the darker version of himself from last night at any moment and just finish the job. Slit my throat, blow my brains out, drown me, I don't know. Any sudden movements would just set us both off.

I didn't know him. Not really. And he has a **_very deplorable_** reputation.

I began to fidget on my feet. I was in a closed room with a criminal and no one knew where I was. He could kill me now and no one would be the wiser. To make matters worse, he was enjoying this awkward situation almost too much, considering everything we had been through last night.

A moment passed that felt like a century and I could faintly hear him sigh and cross the room, so I peeked through my fingers to see him pass me completely and make his way over to a pile of clothes on top of a dresser I didn't see before.

"Where am I?" I moved to speak. I tried not to sound so fearful.

His bare back faced me as he rummaged through the pile of fabric, the light muscling along it expansive and defining. He was so distracting. I had noticed another tattoo across his left shoulder blade that looked like a passage of writing in an elegant script. I couldn't make out what it said being this far from him and I wasn't brave enough to go any closer to read it.

Especially when he was 'fresh-out-of-the-shower' naked.

"You're somewhere safe. That's all you need to know." His voice surprised me with suddenly sounding very serious, all traces of his teasing humor from before completely gone. I guess this was him trying to reassure me. I wasn't reassured.

"Am I ever going to be allowed to go home?" _Are you going to finally kill me_, I wanted to ask but was too scared of the answer.

He made a sound of annoyance. "Trust me, no one wants you home and out of our way more than me. You've caused enough bullshit to last a lifetime." He avoided my question without turning around once to speak to me directly. It's like he couldn't be bothered and instead was better occupied with slipping a ring on his index finger and fiddling a thickly chained bracelet onto his wrist.

I lowered my hands from my face cautiously, seeing that the danger wasn't as present as it was last night when he was beyond angry. I watched him curiously as he prepared for the day like I wasn't standing three feet behind him watching his every move. His actions were slow and somehow sensual as he picked up his dark jeans and plain white shirt from the pile and laid them out on the dresser. I could tell he was a very confident person; that much was evident from what I witnessed of him scaring the shit out of that Marco guy last night.

But I could tell he wasn't just confident with his persona, but with the effect he had on people. I could tell he knew he had me in the palm of his hand. It was like he knew I wouldn't run from the room now because I was too afraid and even if I did, he was perfectly sure he was capable of catching me before I ever made it pass the threshold.

It was like none of this was new to him or even remotely out of the ordinary. Like I hadn't been taken to some scary biker lair to be threatened to keep quiet and then shoved into some strange bed for the night. As he angled his head to the side to look down to close the clasp for his bracelet, lips pursed in concentration, I secretly admired his profile and the shadows the dim light created along it.

I was scared right to my core about every little aspect of what I had found myself involved in since last night. Not only because of the whole biker gang rivalry and illegal criminal thing being a dangerous reality in the town I had just made my new home, but because of the man standing before me looking so much like what I imagine an angel to be, and was apparently the devil himself.

He was created both of monsters and men.

He was the perfect predator.

And it scared me like nothing else ever had.

"It's also rude to stare, Ally." He tisked. "Looks like no one taught you any manners."

I hadn't realized how much the room had grown silent, my ragged breath the only thing being heard, until he broke it. I blushed when I had seen I had been staring for too long that he had noticed. But he knew without even turning to me.

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. I just—**_HOLY CRAP! _**What are you **_doing?!_**"

I suddenly stopped short and screeched, embarrassed beyond relief as I ran to face the wall with my hands fully covering my face. He had suddenly dropped his towel from his body shamelessly, revealing himself in all his glory.

He laughed his arrogant laugh, not a hint of self-consciousness in his own nudity apparent while I turned red all over. "I'm getting dressed, what does it look like I'm fucking doing?"

I tried to move quickly towards the bed to grab the blanket to cover my head from mortification without opening my eyes.

"Do you have no **_boundaries?!_** Put some clothes on for Christ's sake!" But even in that split second before I heard him laugh loudly again at my conservativeness and the tell-tale rattle of the hanging chain on his jeans signalling he was putting them on, I still saw enough of his glorious tanned backside for it to be forever burned in my brain.

I reached the bed successfully and grabbed the blanket in a flash.

"Please," I muffled awkwardly into the duvet I had tossed across my face. "This night has been a nightmare, I don't need you making it worse than it already is. Just let me go home. I already promised I wouldn't say anything. I mean it, I won't."

"God, I knew you were innocent but I never guessed you'd be so prude too." He sounded so amused with himself. Couldn't he get his entertainment elsewhere?! I knew he was doing this all to get a rise out of me, playing around with the power he clearly held over me. He was an instigator and he enjoyed it.

I ruffled silently at the comment but still stayed hidden, half expecting him to be stood before the bed now with his front side in my face instead. I was **_not _**prude but I didn't want to see his...special areas…any more.

I just wanted to go home.

I felt a light pat on my head through the blanket a second later and flinched in surprise.

"You can come out now, Straight-Laced. I'm dressed."

I slowly pulled the barrier away from me as I saw him standing tall on the opposite side of the bed where the chair and his jacket were. He was now fully dressed, his hair beginning to dry.

"I'm not **_prude_**; I just don't need to see you in that way, thank you."

He narrowed his eyes as his challenging smirk got right in my face.

"Oh trust me…" he suddenly said very intimately as I sat cowering on the bed with the blanket around me. "That's what they all say at first."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I whispered almost rudely.

"That no matter what, no one can ever resist what the dark side of life has to offer."

He grinned evilly at my wide eyes and taught face, leaning in over the bed closer to me by the second. I wasn't use to boys being so suggestive with me, especially ones who were capable of snapping my neck without a second thought. But it was like he wanted to see me snap, to see me do something I'd regret.

I instinctively leaned away from him, fear a little evident on my face at how easy a thought that could be. At my change of expression, his own looked almost angry and he seemed to snap back to that brooding, emotionless version of himself in a instant. "Alright. Enough of these fun and games, let's go. The sooner I get you the hell out of here, the better. For **_both_** of us." He was half looking at me as I straightened up from the bed and he threw on his club jacket, but when he spoke, it seemed like it was more to himself.

"You're taking me home?" I perked up. I was a little surprised it was that easy.

He grabbed his keys and phone from the side table and stuffed his pockets. He then sighed and looked at me head on, the first genuine time he's really done so this morning. I stopped breathing when I saw the way he looked at me like I was a puzzle he couldn't solve. It was slightly unnerving.

"Yes. But first, we have to talk to someone."

"Is it the man from last night?" I tried.

He chuckled as we started to make our way towards the door. "Be more specific, babe. You met a lot of new men last night."

"The nice one."

He sighed again and seemed to deflate a little, like keeping his bravado consistent around me was draining. "Yeah, it's him."

. I guess he knew exactly who I was talking about because I hadn't even told him who I thought was the nice one. It wasn't that difficult a guess, if you really think about it.

I trailed behind him, afraid to speak anymore. I was fixing my bed head and crinkled dress as we approached the door but as he was just about to reach for it, it swung open.

"Oh, Austin. I didn't know you stayed last night." The old man looked at him oddly, like it was so out of character. The information was new to me too and when I looked up at Austin to see his reaction, he even looked a little embarrassed.

"You know what; it's actually good you're here. You can take her straight home after I've had a little talk with her." The old man turned from him and faced me, his white hair perfectly styled back on his head. Now in the broad daylight, I could tell he was older than I'd originally thought and it surprised me. He didn't sound or act very old. He gave me a small smile that made me feel less tense and more comfortable. But only a little.

"Come take a seat for a moment, Ally." He gestured back towards the bed and the chair that hadn't been pushed back from its place beside the bed.

He made his way over but I was hesitant to follow. I stood there, thinking about what could possibly happen right now. It only occurred to me then of how relaxed I was acting about all of this and I really didn't know why. Was this a bad thing? Was he going to sit me down and make me feel safe, and then kill me like a lamb to the slaughter? Against my will, I looked at Austin from underneath my lashes to see if he was going to leave me alone with the old man but saw he was just leaning there with his arms crossed and eyes straight. Emotionless.

How did he do that?

But he didn't make a move to leave at all.

"Ally, dear?"

I snapped my head towards the man again who was now seated in the chair and pointing towards the bed for me to take a seat.

"Oh, yes. I'm sorry."

I flushed at being caught looking at Austin again and in the matter of two seconds, was across the room and seated on the bed before him in no time.

"It's alright." His voice was deep and graveling but it sounded like he was trying to be very gentle with me, which he would have no idea how much I appreciated.

"So to be clear," he began, his crow's feet crinkling in attentiveness. "You understand who I am and who my grandson is, correct?"

_Grandson. _I blanched looking at a rigid Austin. If Austin was this man's grandson and what Trish told me was true, than…

"You're the founder of **_Deadwood Covenant Biker Club_**. And he's—" I gestured to Austin. I gulped as his eyes were already on me suddenly. "–a highly respected member."

"Yes, good." The grandfather breathed, grabbing my attention again. "So I trust that you're a smart girl and recognize the predicament we've run in to here. From what you witnessed last night, you understand that _Covenant_ isn't —how should I put this?—your typical Sunday special."

_Yeah, you kill people. Not really a 'typical' past time…_I thought.

I heard Austin chuckle under his breath at his grandfather's dancing around the subject but stayed silent otherwise. It was like a game of taboo.

"I understand." Was all I said, but through my eyes, I let him know that everything they do in actuality was very present and clear knowledge in my mind. I wasn't stupid nor was I unobservant. I know that what they say they do as a cover up was the farthest thing from the truth. They were a gang, and I knew it. Loud and clear. I just didn't turn away from my curiosity when I should have.

His unhinging grey eyes assessed me and my reaction. It was like he was trying to figure out my decisions for I even made them. These men were so unsettling. He leaned in closer, his elbows resting on his knees as he clasped his hands in front of him. "Then I **_know_** you understand what I mean when I say that everything that you saw last night didn't happen. Actually, all you did was stay at the party with your friends and when the night grew tiring you deciding to catch a cab home instead. Isn't that right?"

He spoke slowly, allowing his underlying meaning to fully sink in my mind so I knew what he meant. He wanted me to keep my mouth shut because he knew what was the best thing for me. From the look he was silently giving me, I could tell he was saying that getting involved in business that in no way **_needed _**I involved would just end up in me getting hurt or even worse, killed.

"Am I **_understood_**, Ally? Do you know what I am trying to tell you?" He asked lowly, annunciating every syllable to make his point clear and succinct. "Do you understand the consequences for any unwanted actions you may think of taking?"

At his last question, my eyes snapped up as a horrible voice from last night filled my mind:

_"You even think about breathing a word about what you saw tonight or what you __**think **__you know, I'll hunt you down and kill you myself before you can utter a single syllable to anyone. Do I make myself clear?"_

I shivered and shuttered, the growl of his voice making my skin crawl as it echoed freshly through my mind. If I never saw that man again, it would be too soon.

"Yes. I understand fully and completely, Mr…" I didn't know what to call him.

Sir? Mr. Moon? Grandpa?

"Atticus. My first name is Atticus." He smiled warmly.

"I understand, **_Atticus_**." I attempted a small smile back. "This is none of my business." I spoke as confidently as I could. In a way, I knew it was wrong for me to tuck this all under the rug like I didn't just see a man die last night, but I was in no position to question authority.

What this man said to do, I was going to listen.

"Good." He slapped his hands on his lap before he rose from the chair and offered me his hand. I oddly didn't hesitate and took it firmly. I stood toe to toe with him, him and mostly everyone else always dwarfing my tiny frame. "Then I hope you don't take it the wrong way when I say for your sake, I hope I never have to see you again, my dear."

I stayed quiet, not sure what to say. There wasn't anything I really **_could_** say so I just nodded my head, hoping this was the cue for me to leave and finally go home to where life made sense and was familiar.

"Alright, let's go. Hurry up." Austin scalded me, gesturing towards the door.

"Thank you." I whispered to Atticus, holding his eyes to let him know that I was genuine.

He just smiled in reply. "Don't worry. Just go on, Ally."

I turned towards Austin who was suddenly looking awfully tense. His eyes were always on me, like a hunter watches prey. I looked away, still embarrassed from his behaviour with me before, and just went to finally walk out the door I had been meaning to all morning, but he stopped me.

"Put this on. It's cold this morning."

I looked up to see him holding out his jacket to me. I right away went to refuse but he halted me.

"You'll put the damn thing on yourself or I'll do it for you. Either way, you're not going outside without it. Make your choice." His intimidation skills working at their finest, I complied without a complaint because it really wasn't worth it. He helped me shrug into the large jacket, his excess body warmth and scent enveloping me in an instant.

"Thanks." I turned and just walked out the door.

He and his grandfather fell into step behind me without a word and the door to the room was closed.

I didn't know what I was expecting. A pig sty? Dead bodies littered everywhere? A brothel? But as we weaved down the stairs and through the hallways of a very typical rich home, it was not any of those things **_at all_** but actually, a very tasteful and quaint home. As I tried to control my breathing and not over think the situation, I could hear Atticus faintly mutter something to Austin behind me as they thought I couldn't hear.

"Take her home, boy, and then you come straight back here. We need to get on this situation with **_Fury _**before it really gets out of control."

"Yeah, well that seems to be the case for a lot of things with me these days."

"You do your job, that's all that matters. And whatever you do, you leave that girl alone, Austin. I see the way you look at her and it isn't worth it."

* * *

We arrived in front of my home in less than 10 minutes, thankfully my father being gone on a shift at the hospital, leaving suspicion of a boy driving me home off the table. I was still not being able to shake myself of the slight shiver my body had acquired since I woke up. After Austin had gotten his car from where he parked it last night (which was like 4 houses down) and practically shoved me in, he headed down the main streets and pulled up in front of my home. I was a tad impressed but a lot more frightened of how he already knew where I lived.

"How did you—?"

"—there's nothing in this town I can't know if I so wish to, Ally." He hadn't looked my way once since he packed me up in his car and I was slightly grateful. He was so intimidating that it practically drains me of energy every time he interacts with me. He cut the engine and just sat there gripping the wheel, a look of aggravated pain on his face.

What was wrong with him?

I opened my door and stepped out, suddenly feeling like if I didn't go into my house now then I might never come back. But as I took a step out, I heard him open his door too. I glanced to see him making his way around the car to me.

"As of right now, we don't know of each other anymore. It will just make things easier."

I didn't know why, but his harsh words send a weird feeling of rejection through me. But I shook it off before I could think more of it.

"Goodbye then, I guess." I whispered.

"Yeah, bye."

And I turned and walked away from him up the walkway to my house.

As I got farther and farther from him, I hoped the feeling of his eyes lingering on me would weaken but alas, it never did. I glanced over my shoulder to in fact see Austin watching me from against the side of his car. His arms were crossed and his stance was rigid as usual. As I took in his cold demeanor and what was probably the last glance I will ever take of him, I silently wondered if he ever experienced something that any other normal guy his age would do, or if danger and the club was all he knew. If being top of the county's most wanted criminals list was all he knew. It unexpectedly made me truly realize how much it much have costed him to keep me alive last night with the rest of his men, all because I had asked him to.

He wasn't as bad as people portrayed him and it was sad that he didn't let anyone see that.

Without thinking rationally, I abruptly turned completely around and stood about 10 feet up my walkway before I started making my way back to him with speed and purpose. I wasn't a hundred percent sure of what I was doing yet and it seemed that neither did he. His brow furrowed as I drew closer, my body gaining haste.

"Ally, what—"

I reached out and took the opportunity to quickly wrap my arms around his torso, slamming my body into his and giving him a gentle squeeze. I enveloped his large frame with my tiny arm span as best I could, my head pressed tightly against his firm chest. His body tensed instantly like my touch had shocked him, and I could hear his heartbeat pick up beneath my head. I smiled secretly to myself.

"Thank you. For keeping your promise. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you."

I spoke muffled into his chest as I slightly nuzzled it and he held his stiff position. I knew that hugging him was an extremely risky decision and wasn't sure if it would take course like I wanted or would back fire on me for doing it without permission. But at this point, I didn't really care. Even if he was a terrifying boy who has done **_many_** bad things, even people like him deserved to be thanked for the rare good things they did. It was the least I could do to show I was grateful. I all of a sudden felt him loosen in my arms and thought it was to accept my thanks, but was caught off guard when he grasped my hips firmly and pushed my body as far as possible from his.

"Don't." He hissed.

It wasn't as aggressive of a tone or as negative as a reaction as I had truly anticipated, but instead more strained and more difficult looking to execute. Regardless, it still wasn't a positive one. And it still was capable of deflating my self-esteem a bit.

I stood in front of him, suddenly feeling very silly and exposed. Biting my lip in embarrassment, I glanced up to acquire his expression only to see his eyes were shut tight and his breathing was slightly uneven, like he was trying to control something building inside of him. I felt bad for some reason when I saw his hands were clenching into fists by his side. He looked angry.

"I—I'm sorry. I just don't want you to think I'm ungrateful or anything." I whispered.

When his eyes finally opened and he gazed at me again, what I expected to be the angry and annoyed version of him who was going to snap and cuss and threaten me was actually something far less intimidating. He was looking at me like…

Like he almost pitied me.

We stared at each for a moment longer; I feeling suddenly like my fear wasn't that justifiable anymore. He shook his head and ran his hands through his hair roughly, looking anywhere but at me. Pursing his lips and looking weirdly at odds with himself, he spoke again.

"If a killer whale began to circle you in the ocean, would you be frightened?"

My mouth popped open at the random and strange turn in conversation, and gaped at him for a second. But I soon changed my put off expression when he genuinely looked at me like he wanted me to answer.

"Are you serious?"

"Just answer the damn question, Ally." He growled.

I considered it automatically in fear of him. Closing my eyes, I thought of being in the middle of the ocean somewhere. No boat, no safety. I thought of that fifteen foot white-and-black creature he had asked me to imagine. It was so beautiful and majestic as it appeared out of the blue. Its unnervingly long dorsal fin parting the water as it circled me. Its size, its power. Seals, its favourite meal, much bigger and stronger than little fragile me. I shivered automatically at the possibilities.

"Yes." I answered truthfully.

He looked down at his feet before squinting and looking back at me again. He looks so torn…"Why? There's never been a recorded attack before. Humans, theoretically, are perfectly safe around killer whales."

Getting really into it for his sake, since he wouldn't seem to drop the weird topic, my mind began to seriously fixate on that fin I was imagining. It cruised a complete circle around me in my mind. I shuttered again and found myself shaking my head at him in disagreement.

"It doesn't matter. It's a natural predator. Its interest in me alone would be enough to make me afraid." I said affirming. "Austin, why are you asking me this? What does a killer whale have to do with anything?"

Austin shifted suddenly when he made a deep sound in his throat like he couldn't contain something anymore. And all of a sudden he was closer to me, his eyes glowing with recognition as he stepped completely into my personal space and wrapped his arm right around my waist tightly and tugged me right into his body. When I gasped and was momentarily disoriented, he saw it as his chance to tentatively reached out—his eyes never leaving mine—and brush his long fingers down the curve of my neck. I shivered automatically at his impactful caress, my legs becoming like jelly. His skin against mine was like heaven and I'd never expected to like it so much or fall weak to him like this so quickly. What the bloody hell was wrong with me? Did I not have any sense?

His dark, hot gaze roamed my features as he grew so increasingly close, only millimetres away, He was close to the point where his warm breath stirred the hair falling around my face and washed into my senses like a savage drug. I had stopped breathing, completely frozen in anticipation.

My mind was gone the second he put his hands on me.

And when his eyes finally rested on my lips and he licked his own in reaction, I could plainly see exactly was he was thinking about, written all over his hungry features.

"It's always wise to fear a predator, Ally. **_Especially_** one that takes an interest in you."

He paused, breathing against my lips. My eyes fluttering at the wonderful sensation."I don't know what it is about you, but I can't seem to convince myself that being anywhere near you is the worst thing for me. "

I knew what he was saying was so wrong and I shouldn't be as intrigued as I was. I mean he was a god damn criminal, the most feared person in a thousand mile radius. But I was totally enraptured by him and I couldn't even help it. I literally had no control over my actions anymore, my mind and body on two totally different schedules. I have never been the one to get super involved with boys; in fact I've only had one boyfriend in my entire life. But even then, it wasn't a tenth as electric as this with Austin was in this very moment.

He was stating he had a predatory interest in me and that I should fear him completely. That I should run without looking back. And a little tiny rational part was begging me to do just that.

But God, the rest of me?

The rest said that by the way he was looking at me like I was the last cookie on earth; I never wanted someone to kiss me as badly as I wanted him to right now. I wasn't me, I didn't know this girl. But I didn't seem to really care.

And neither did he apparently.

"Oh fuck this." He growled, grabbing my small face abruptly in both his large hands and crashing his lips on mine with full heated force. Surprising myself and probably him completely, I only hesitated for half a second before I responded with equal force and went on my tippy toes to wrap my arms securely around his neck, pulling him in closer. He groaned deeply in his throat as we meshed together, my responsiveness seeming to please him as he curved his solid body into mine suggestively. His warm, soft lips were fierce and urgent against mine, and when that didn't seem to be enough, his large hand cupped my neck while the other tiled to my face to a different angle, and he deepened the kiss immensely, slowing it down suddenly to make it hotter. But his evident hunger was fuelling my new found one.

And as I was too busy seeing stars from the expertise skill of his dominating mouth, I only came aware of reality when I felt him pull away from me completely, growling again. Instead, this one sounded angered.

"Holy fuck." He muttered to himself.

We stood a foot away from each other, both panting and out of breath. His shoulder were heaving, trying to regulate normally again. I felt like my whole body was on fire. From the tip of my head to the tip of my toes, every nerve in my body was tingly and fragile. I couldn't believe I just did that but sense and rationality were the farthest things from my mind right now. I looked at his eyes to see them darker than I ever saw them as they watched me hooded, lust and raw hunger shining strong. His lips were slightly red and swollen from my kiss and I blushed as it visually reminded me of what I actually had just done.

But before I could apologize or rationalize or moralize, he turned away from me like we were strangers and walked away to his car faster than I had ever seen him move. With only a last glance at me from over the roof of his car before he ducked in, he drove away like a bullet and disappeared in seconds.

I stood there for a good forty minutes before I finally walked inside to an empty home, seriously confused, and debated on which made me feel worse:

Me kissing a criminal like it was the last thing I'd ever do or that criminal kissing me and leaving right after like it was all I was good for.

And on top of all that, I knew I would have to awkwardly see him again because he left before I could give him his jacket back.

What the hell had I just gotten myself into?

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thoughts?**

**Reviews?**


	10. Something's Stirring

**A/N:**

***** EDITED 17/08/2013*****

**Okay. Wow. You guys have blown me completely away. Being honest here, I really thought DC was going to be a little controversial or was at least going to be something that no one really got into. But from the feedback I've gotten so far from on only 10 chapters is absolutely astounding. And the actual amount of views and reviews?! **

**CRAZY! Absolutely NUTS!**

** Just wow. I'm so happy right now. Thank you; _all of you_! **

**Spread the word of _DEADWOOD COVENANT_! **

**Love you guys and this one is for you, as always! Sorry it took so bloody long. Work eats up your free time. **

**_Chapter Inspiration Song: _****"Evil Angel" by Breaking Benjamin **

**-B**

* * *

**_Hell's Fury _****Territiory, A warehouse somewhere on the outskirts of Rose Hill…**

As he rose from his seat, Domenic Di Santis reached across the table in the middle of the warehouse to shake one of his many long-time business associate's hands, as his gathering came to a close. He had men scattered throughout the large open room often during such meetings he ran, even if it was just a visual reminder to others of just how much control he really had. Security and protection seemed to be the ploy since it was always the first thing people assumed, but for Dom? Well, he was a proud man of power and status.

Because everyone knew regardless that the President of _Hell's Fury_ could otherwise handle himself if he were to whatsoever feel threatened.

"As always, it was a pleasure doing business, Mr. Holden." Dom's political tone rasped; his grip on the other man's hand tight and affirming.

"Yes, well. The pleasure is all ours it seems. After all, you are the ones doing the dirty work and running our shipments while we just stand as the suppliers."

Mr. Holden showed a mischievous grin to Dom while his fellow counterparts let out a chortle at the leer. They all moved to stand from their seats, the business meeting between _Hell's Fury _and their firearms supplier wrapping up. The guns dealers always dressed so smart, as they are usually extremely wealthy men with their fingers in many different bowls, if you would.

Once all of their suits were fixed from being ruffled, they began to walk to Dom's side of the table, towards the exit. Mr. Holden was appraising Dom with that quizzical look as they walked side by side, squaring their shoulders.

"But I do have to ask Mr. Di Santis, merely to satisfy my curiosity. Why **_is it_** that you're requesting larger shipments than your usual for this time of year? I'm not complaining obviously, but do humour me." Mr. Holden smirked at Dom, his bright white teeth contrasting greatly with his dark African skin. "It isn't due to something stirring your need for more protection, is it?"

Domenic smiled his reassuring smile, cracking his stuff knuckles all the while. He knew how much Holden liked to tease and taunt him about his on-going bad blood between his club and Deadwood Covenant, always trying to see how far he could push him on the tender subject. But he wouldn't let the man get a rise out of him. Not this time at least.

He approached the question with poise. "My need for protection is a constant when you deal with the workings of our world." He began, meanwhile escorting the party of men outside of the warehouse towards their waiting SUVs. "But the sense of something 'stirring' isn't always necessarily a bad thing that requires protection, but more so the power to prevent **_other's_** ability to do so."

Mr. Holden held an all-knowing look followed by an ever teasing grin. "Ah, I understand. Well, so long as you keep your end of our deals as you have for years now, then consider us allies in your future endeavors." He was the last of his men to finally file into the large black truck. As he was about to close the door on Dom who was standing a foot away, sending his guests off like the all-pleasing civilized leader he portrayed himself as, he turned to look at Dom in the eye again, the curve of his mouth never ceasing. It really sickened Dom sometimes.

"Whatever they may be, Domenic…" The door was then closed with a loud shut, their truck sandwiched between two similar ones all in a line leaving the warehouse grounds.

The middle-aged Dom was pondering the progress of his meeting and Holden's lingering words when he heard the familiar sound of rubber on gravel. He turned to see men ride in and park along with all the other bikes and vehicles in the dirty unkempt lot. He noticed his son's bike was among them.

Dom's son Marco dismounted and pulled off his bulky helmet as he approached his father with an amused smile.

"Marco. You're back early." Dom pointed out, slightly disapproved. He shouldn't be back this quickly. As he clapped a hand to his son's shoulder, the rest of Marco's riding party made their way into the warehouse, only nodding in recognition to their president as they passed.

"Only because I have good news." He said sinisterly as he pulled off his riding gloves. "But before I get to it, how did the meeting with the Tycoons go?"

Dom crossed his arms tightly, his leather jacket squeaking as it rubbed together. "It went well, actually. Holden was surprisingly generous at my request and I manage to nail out the extra orders to supply our large influx of prospects without fifty questions. But I think the better question here is why you're back so soon?"

Marco ran a dirty hand through his sweaty helmet hair, his unruly dark strands in disarray. He smirked at his father. "I got the information you wanted; wasn't that difficult obviously so executing things shouldn't be either. I can move tonight, at your word." Marco said cockily.

Domenic watched his son's confident expression engulf his face and narrowed his eyes. He may be his son but he had a tendency to be overly smug with himself. And now was definitely not the time to do so, not when things were so fragile between the territories. Marco's arrogance was his downfall and his father was very aware of it. Putting Marco on the correct track was a daily task.

"That's what you said about setting up Austin Moon and look where he is now; **_not_** in jail, very much alive, and **_still_** **_in my way_**." Dom's voice was beginning to raise, a growl erupting from within him. Austin Moon was a touchy subject that has been an annoying roadblock in his plans for years. "With him fucking around, nothing will be fully ours. **_Ever_**. "

Marco eyes dimmed a bit at his father's impatience but soon brushed it off like it wasn't an issue. Or at least, one he didn't want to acknowledge in his presence. "That was a fluke, dad. Covenant's got many eyes in the system so it's difficult to pinpoint the accuracy of some shit. And what the fuck is locking him up going to do anyway? He'd find a way out of it, he always does." Marco suddenly got a very serious look about him that surprised Dom, more so when he reached out and gripped his shoulder, holding a steady gaze. Marco was rarely so forthwith.

"I have other plans in mind. We already know where they like to make their transactions: down by the pier, where there's minimal surveillance." Dom nodded, remaining quiet for him to continue.

"Well, if we infiltrate properly this time, we can be more effective." Something darkened in Marco's eyes that his father couldn't help but notice. "So help me, dad…as god as my witness, Austin Moon is going to be nothing more than a name people once knew and feared. **_No one_** wants to destroy him more than me and that's exactly what I plan on fucking doing."

Dom was silent for a moment, his face staying impassive at Marco's gauging gaze.

Until he finally spoke up:

"How soon can you grab your men and get started?"

* * *

**Ally's POV: **

"**_Allyson! This needs to stop!_**"

I snapped—or more like jumped—out of my panicky and spiralling daydream yet again today and looked up at a my disgruntled English teacher, Mrs. Birch. She looked the most angry she had all week towards me and my recently adapted 'space case' personality. I tried to look as inexpressive as I could but behind my glassy eyes, all I could see were dark surrounding figures with reapers on their chests.

I blinked back tears of frustration and slight fear.

It was Wednesday, four whole days back to reality since my escapades at the party and I wasn't coping well, to say the least. It was a miracle I even allowed myself to leave the confines of my house to go to school but I owed it to myself to at least contain some of the normalcy I still had in my life unless I wanted to go insane.

That, and my father would've become more suspicious than he already is and the last thing I want is him involved.

I was in last period and I managed to become trapped in my mind-completely checked out-like I have been for the last three days in my classes. It was like I was almost on auto-pilot, travelling from class to class robotically, absorbing the most that I could, and all the while trying my best to get by without having a nervous breakdown.

"Oh—uh, sorry, Miss." My raspy voice shook slightly. "What did you say again?"

I had the sense to look bashful and red as the rest of the students in the class, including a very skeptical and pissed Trish, had all their eyes glued to me. I could hear snickers at my incoherence. My dopiness in class was not a new thing as of recently and it was now starting to become a constant joke among my classmates.

"I **_said—_**who is your partner for the Hamlet assignment, but once again, **_you are otherwise_ _distracted._**" She said sternly, standing at the front of the room where I assume she had been avidly waiting for me to finally answer her question. Her hands were firmly planted on her two wide hips. "Really Miss Dawson, this is at least the **_10th _**time I've had to fiercely call on your attention **_this week_**! Now whatever it is that has you so distracted, I advised you find a way to somehow make it scarce or else I won't hesitate to**_ ensure_ **you fail my course! **_Am I understood?!_**"

"Oh. Uh—um…"

"I think she gets it, Mrs. Birch. And I'm her partner so we can continue on to the next student I think." Trish interrupted from her seat across the way, my eyes flicking quickly on her in surprise as well as every other astonished pair located in the room. She was already watching me quizzically like she had been ever since she first spoke to me since my run in with Covenant, right away detecting something was very off about me. Since then, she's kept her calculating gaze on my weirdness constantly. "Ally's just been a little out of it obviously, so excuse her." Her gaze burned me accusingly, like she was almost trying to force out whatever I was hiding from her with her eyes.

"Whatever you say, Ms. Della Rosa." Mrs. Birch said harshly in her authoritative voice, and turned her squinty little eyes back towards me. "So long as you understand the consequences for falling behind in your studies, Allyson." She scolded. "This is not how you should be behaving in your final year, god forbid your final year in a school **_you just transferred to_**."

I slouched in my seat embarrassed, feeling like I was two inches tall. But then again, Mrs. Birch hasn't been the first teacher to reem me out in front of everyone this week, and probably won't be the last at the rate I'm going.

It was very silent as I felt everyone's eyes make holes in my skin and Mrs. Birch huffed, giving me one last look of frustration. She soon continued to call out for partners from the other students in my class, leaving me to wallow in my bullshit and only then did I feel people start to look away.

"Ally." Someone whispered roughly.

I looked up from my position, fully ready to tell whoever it was to leave me alone, to only see Trish leaning in beside me.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. We**_ need_ **to talk." She stated quietly but firmly. She didn't look pissed as I thought she would, but more like confused. Like she was wondering what was so interesting that had me gone from earth.

Either way, I could tell that me ducking her questions, calls, and conversation for the last few days had final added up to the last straw.

I looked at her furrowing brow once again since the beginning of the week, and once again I was completely at a loss for what to say. It was true, I had been avoiding her interaction but only because I wasn't sure if I could talk to anyone, let alone Trish, without completely singing like a canary about what happened to me. I was afraid and paranoid and Trish could clearly see it.

I was freaking out inside and it was insane how in tune I made myself out of pure fear. I was jumpy and flinchy. I was unnaturally and suddenly aware of so many possibilities around me in this one small town.

And I blamed **_him_** completely.

After he finally left me abruptly like he did, I literally locked myself away from civilization for a day and a half, unplugged the phone, and just ran endless circles in my mind around the world I glimpsed into, hoping I would just be able to move on like nothing happened. So yes, I was afraid, but I wasn't sure of what anymore. I could only manage to speak to my father, and even that was only when absolutely necessary.

It took hours of convincing but I finally decided to attend school that Monday morning but it wasn't much use since at home or at school, I was still a walking robot.

Because no matter how hard I tried—a certain blonde haired boy and the confusing, frightening feelings he invoked in me starred in my dreams every night since Friday...

A quick flash of him grabbing me and taking control of my mouth passed my vision.

A small shiver racked me and I tried to shake it from my subconscious.

I had to get a grip.

But as I sat wide-eyed and silent, staring at a really fed up Trish who I've completely ignored since Friday night, I tried to think again of a good enough excuse to placate her with. She wasn't the type of person to be duped and I was starting to realize why she didn't open up to a lot of people she like she took the chance to do with me.

But the truth is, I've been so absorbed in my own shit that I had no idea what to tell her or how to approach her about it without showing my involvement. How **_could_** I tell her anything?

Would she believe me? I know **_I_** wouldn't believe me-

**_BRINNNNG!_**

The sound of the bell sounded, everyone around us standing up quickly and chattering, trying to file out of the room as fast as they could. I remained seated.

"Alright! Remember: your assignments are due next week, **_no extensions_**!" Mrs. Birch belted over the loud clamber of students' voices.

Before I could make a move out of my seat, Trish's firm grasp on my forearm was already dragging me out of it and down the hall with a strong purpose.

"I can put up with a lot but being left in the dark is not one of them. **_Let's go_**." She scolded me as she continued to shove me down the hall, my book bag barely staying on my shoulder.

When we reached my locker, she pushed me against it and I grunted, catching myself. The hallways were quickly vacant at the end of the day but there was still a few on lookers who didn't dare to interfere with Trish when she was heated like this.

"What the **_hell_**, Trish?!" I spoke with loud emotion for the first time in days.

Trish crossed her arms in front of me, her eyes appraising me accusingly. "Oh, so you **_do_** still speak. I was wondering if you got you're tongue cut out or something."

I brushed my shoulders off and fixed my now ruffled jacket. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt my anger start to boil again, like a machine coming back to life after a millennia of sleep.

"Now you're going to start talking because frankly, this little charade you're trying to pull with me isn't working. Now I tried to be nice and allowed you to have your space but really, Ally, this is getting fucking ridiculous." Her hands lifted in the arm as the look on her face was an odd mixture of annoyance and concern. "You're zoning out in class, you're dead-panning every conversation I try to have with you, you jump whenever you hear something loud-"

She was cut off by the loud chirping of her cell phone coming from her pant pocket.

She mumbled something sarcastic about 'perfect timing', me fully thinking she was going to ignore the call and continue to yell at me till I cracked, when all of sudden the expression on her face turned uncharacteristically nervous as she looked at the called ID. Her eyes quickly flashed to meet mine, and I could tell what was coming next. My heavy breathing was still filling my ears.

She sighed dramatically. "This isn't finished. You're going to tell me what's wrong with you, whether you like it or not." The phone stopped ringing but she still made her way down the hallway. "Meet me at your car." She called back and then turned the corner.

I let out a long needed sigh and rubbed a fist into my tired eyes, slouching my body weight against my locker. I didn't know if things were always this bad or if I was just now more coherent of the odd things going on around me. Either way, paranoia was becoming my new best friend and I wasn't fully sure if it was a good thing.

What the hell was I going to tell Trish? She wasn't going to drop it till I provided her with a satisfying answer.

I was in deep shit.

Once my bag was packed with my other school books, I made my way to my car; the empty hallways making it easy to travel the large distance efficiently. My body ached as I made my way, it feeling the consequences of not having a good night's sleep since Thursday night.

And as the wheels in my head began to do what they'd been doing best and furiously turn over stupid scenarios once again, I couldn't help but feel that tingly sense on my spine that eyes were watching me. I slammed my locker door shut and swivelled where I stood suddenly, scanning the vacant corridors like a hawk.

I was alone. No one was around.

"Jesus, Ally. Get a hold of yourself..." I muttered, throwing my raincoat on and heading towards the parking lot a lot faster than necessary.

* * *

I stepped out into the cloudy overcast weather. It was drizzling outside, the warm beach breeze I associated with Bay Beach not making an appearance the entire day. I almost wanted to laugh at how ironic it was, but couldn't seem to get the emotion to be genuine.

I crossed the distance to my car in no hurry, enjoying the feeling of not being rushed or pressured. The wetness caused the usually jammed lot to be almost clear of people and cars which was such a weird sight to see. It was slightly eerie and was just another situation that made me feel more anxious, like something was about to happen, but I tried my hardest not to think about it too much.

I hurried towards my car parked over behind a row of trees on the edge of the lot, finding the privacy slightly comforting this morning when I found the spot. But now as I go to it alone, I think it might have been a seriously dumb idea. And just to prove the point, I suddenly hear a voice.

Frozen, I hear an exuberant female voice speaking on the other side of the hedge. Suspicious and cautious of everything now it seems, I approached it slower and quieter, trying to make out whom it was. My heart began to pound like mad as I began to register it as a possible threat.

"I can't **_believe_ **you haven't called me back, **_you ass_**! It's been **_FIVE DAYS_**! What the hell has been **_so_** important that-"

The voice suddenly cut off abruptly. And for a good 10 minutes too.

"No," the voice breathed finally, the word sounded slightly muffled like a hand was placed to there mouth in surprise. "That can't be. Are you a hundred percent sure about all of this?"

It was then I realized it was Trish's lowered voice, and only her voice. She must be on the phone still. Curious to who it could be that made Trish feel the need for privacy from me, I have a small debate on eavesdropping when I give out and choose to lean in closer and continue to listen.

Who is she talking about?

"But are you **_positive _**you have the name right? The one you mentioned is correct? Because the chances of this are far too creepy..."

She pauses, and then-

"**_It all makes so much sense now!_**" She bellowed. "Shit, I should have **_known_**!" It sounded like she was ranting to herself now, like she usually does when she's overwhelmed. "I mean, I knew something was up, but I just never imagined it be **_this_**! Oh my god, what are the odds!"

Who—who is the 'she' she's talking about? Could it be…No, it couldn't, right?

I listen on begrudgingly.

"Yes, I **_know__ her_**, you moron! Why else would I be freaking out like this?!" She sucked her teeth. "Fuck, the poor girl. No wonder she's been out of her mind these past couple of days, she's probably scared shitless!" She sighed as I tried to peer through the shrubbery and make her figure out.

She suddenly spluttered, angry at what was relayed to her on the other line. "**_Excuse me_**, but I was friends with the girl **_before _**you told me all this crap that went down at the clubhouse this weekend, so don't start telling **_me _**how to watch out for her! I could have done **_just that _**if you didn't pull me away at the party! I could have **_prevented all this_**! You have some balls calling me up and telling me what to do.****"

I gasp harshly, my eyes wide with complete disbelief. My hands cover my mouth as what I hear Trish say to whoever is on the receiving end finally answer my fearful assumption.

Trish is talking about_** me**_; this can't possibly be a really freaky coincidence! It's too exact! She's **_referring _**to me, holy crap!

I choke down a fearful sob, barely straining to continue to eavesdrop. "Yeah, yeah, she won't say anything, I'll make sure of it." Trish spoke with attitude as I slowly rose from my crouching position as silently as I could.

"She's isn't an idiot with a death wish, D; she can hold her own! She'll keep her mouth shut. Yeah, I'll be with her tonight. Talk to you later." She ends the call and curses silently to herself.

**_What the fuck is going on. Who the bloody hell is D? How is Trish involved!? _**

My mind is whirling at the situation. Things just get worse and worse, don't they?

In a split second, before I fully make my presence known and finally let everything I've been feeling unleash and boil over, something is entertained in my mind that strikes me with even more fear. What if Trish **_is_** a part of Deadwood Covenant? If so, can I trust anyone anymore? Would she try and kill me too?

Maybe that's how she knew so much before…

And like I really did have a death wish, I find myself rapidly moving into plain sight with the sudden urge to confront her, my lungs feeling like they were about to give out.

Trish's ears perk up, causing her to turn around abruptly; a look of fright and astonishing nervousness overtaking her stance. With her mouth popped open like she was caught with her hand in the cookie jar, she suddenly narrows her eyes at me and becomes awfully rigid.

"Were you listening to my conversation?" She accuses, her voice rising.

I stare at her for a second, dumbfounded. But soon, my fists clenched and my breathing deepens. Was she serious? I let out a small unamused and accusing laugh.

"Are you kidding me? I can't **_believe_** you! That's all you have to say to me right now?" My voice cracked as I felt my buried emotions starting to rise within me, this new discovery finally being the threatening last straw.

"Oh my god. I can't **_believe_** this. Oh my god." I begin to mutter to myself. "You too, out of all god damn people. Is **_anywhere _**safe?" I drop my bag to the floor and began to furiously pull at my hair, the stress and unknown of it all crashing down on me.

Suddenly, Trish is beside me and I flinch away from her touch.

"Ally! Stop, stop it!" She grabs me as I try to move away from her.

"Jesus Christ, Ally. I'm not going to hurt you! You're completely safe! Just stop, I can help." She shakes me a bit.

I look at her, not believing her for a second. Hot tears threaten to fall but I blink them back. "How the hell can you say that? How can you expect me to trust what you say? **_I heard you_**. You're one of them!"

"Ally, I'm not **_one of them_**!" She barks at me. "My family is tied up with them somewhat, but it's not **_at all _**what you think! If you just let me explain…"

I was taken off guard at what she said. Her family was tied up with them? What the hell does that mean?

We must have looked like quite the pair, her clutching at my shoulders like a madwoman while I tried to get a reign on my emotions. I glared at her, really getting tired of being manhandled. I shove her hands off me and stepped back from her to pick up my bag.

"Fine, explain. **_Now_**." I hissed venomously at her. I couldn't help but feel like I was betrayed for some reason. How could this be? **_Trish?! _**

She sighed heavily and ran her hands up and down her face. "I can't, not here in the open like this." She stepped towards my passenger door and gestured at my car.

"Come on, open up. I'll tell you everything you need to know when we get to the privacy of your house. I promise."

* * *

I threw the door to my bedroom open and slammed it shut once Trish stepped in behind me, my father's usual complaint of this action not audible since he was still on his shift at the hospital. I threw my bag haphazardly onto the floor and spun to face her, not wasting any time with niceties towards her. It seems all my hospitality flies out the window the second I lose my cool.

"Alright, **_explain_**. Right now." I spat. "How is your family involved? How are _**you**_ involved? And what do you know about what happened to me Friday night? I want to know **_everything_** you know about these people, and this time, don't leave anything out."

"Okay, easy**_, easy_**, Ally. One at a time." She instructs as she takes a seat on my bed, looking suddenly very tired. "And drop the 'tude, would ya? I'm not the bad guy here."

"Yeah, we'll see about that…" I mumble rudely, her eyes flashing a warning at me. I could care less at this point about playing nice with her; she needed to cut the crap because this was all too creepy to be a coincidence.

"Start talking." I pushed, crossing my arms and staring her down.

"Okay! Christ!" She exclaimed. She then seemed to take a moment more of my running patience to collect her thoughts, a fleeting look of concentration crossing her face. She then looked up at me. "Well, damn. At least take a seat or something, you're making me nervous."

"I rather stand." I said stubbornly.

She sighed. "Whatever, suit yourself." She lifted her legs on to my bed so that she was sitting fully cross-legged in the middle of my comforter. It seemed like she was getting comfortable.

Her eyes soon leveled with mine as I tapped my foot, my anxiety seizing tightly in my chest the longer she took to speak up. Her eyes looked solemn, so different from the Trish I was use to.

"My father's a lawyer. A really good one, actually; the best in the county."

I looked at her, puzzled. "That's nice, but what the hell does that have to do with anything?"

She made an irritated noise. "You know, this will go a lot quicker if you just let me explain everything first and keep your questions to a bare minimum."

My silence was her cue to know I understood and wanted her to keep going.

"**_Anyway_**—my dad's always been good at what he does, administrating the law. And as a result, it makes his services very desirable." She continued in that serious tone. "So in other words, a **_big _**rep means **_big _**clients…" Trish trailed on, bugging her eyes out at me like she was hoping I'd put two and two together.

"So let me get this straight; are you saying to me that your dad is Covenant's **_lawyer_**? As in Covenant: the biker **_gang,_** the **_criminals_**?! " I suggested incredulously.

"Well, one of their lawyers, yeah. You can't possibly expect an organization as dangerous and protected as theirs to have anything less than a SWAT team of professionals dealing with their communal matters." She said that like it was something I should have already known.

I stared at her, my mouth hanging open in awe and confusion.

But in my head, things still didn't add up.

"Okay, okay. I'll bite." I follow up. "If that's so, I still don't see why that has anything to do with you. Why would you be talking to someone on the phone about my run in with the club? It's not like **_you're_** the one directly doing business with them or whatever…"

"Ally, it's not that hard to grasp. My family's been involved since I was a baby. It's natural that I made my own friends and relationships along the way too, being surrounded by that life all the time, you know." In other words, she danced around my real question. She wasn't going to say who this '_D_' was.

I guess I still looked as extremely skeptical as I felt because she sighed again and addressed me further, now her patience seeming to wear thin. "Look, I know this is a lot to take in. I get it, I heard what happened to you and you're beyond scared straight. I understand. At one point I was too. Hell, I still am sometimes." She said more to herself.

"And the only reason why I know any of this is because your name happened to come up when a member I'm **_particularly_** close with rang me and was just shooting the shit about the massive blow up at the clubhouse this past weekend." I gulped; my throat insanely parched suddenly. Her eyes watched my reaction to her words take over my whole body. I froze in my place.

"So if my friend**_ never_** even brought it up, none of this would have surfaced and I wouldn't of had to get the 4-1-1 on you, Ally. It's coincidence but for god's sake, **_you could have been killed_**! You should have **_told_** me, god dammit!"

"**_You don't think I wanted to_**?!" I finally blew up, all the pent up crap being unleashed. "How was I supposed to know you were in good with them or whatever?! I **_still_** don't know if this is okay, me talking about it with you!" I growled, rounding on her.

"You can talk to me; nothing is going to happen to you if you do. But really, Ally." She spoke in a lower voice, as if to not spook me. "What the hell **_happened_**? A witness problem has never blown to these proportions before."

That was it. I couldn't take it anymore. A round of sobs racked my chest and violently escaped my mouth as I tried to find a way to breath properly again. This was all too much; I didn't know what to do.

Damn **_him_**. God damn him straight to hell for putting me in this position.

"Trish, I—I…Oh my god, I don't even know where to begin!" I cried out, tear rimming my eyes as I thought about how much of a messed up situation this all is. My legs begin to quiver and finally collapse under all the pressure.

"Hey, hey." She soothed, catching me in her arms quickly, lowering us both to the ground. The gesture was so foreign from someone as particularly brash as her. "It's alright, they won't hurt you now. Once their top leader vetoes something, it has to be abided by no matter what. Although I'm not why it's become such a big stink." She said calmly as she could. "But whatever, just **_trust me_**. I understand that this all seems pretty fucked up but you'd be surprised when I say that it could have been **_a lot_** worse."

Trish 's soothing is oddly exactly what I needed in that moment and I accept graciously, the feeling of having someone finally know all about this is very relieving. We hold each other for what feels like hours, my meltdown subsiding into a wave of acceptance, until I feel Trish's stout frame go absolutely stiff in my arms and my heart rate picks up in alarm again.

All of sudden, she pushes me at arm's length but her very wide and weirdly fearful eyes are glued on something on my desk. I scrunch my tired face up in confusion at her immediate change, and try to catch her gaze.

"Trish, what's—"

"Where the **_fuck_** did you get that?" She darkly seethed towards whatever it was, the fear I detected before in her eyes now very evident in her voice.

I turned in my seat to look at whatever she seemed to be terrified by. It took a second but my eyes locked on the thick leather jacket that I had completely forgotten to stash away before Trish walked in, just lying there for anyone to see. Its patches on full display, especially the one threaded with the name Austin on the left breast pocket.

Not just any jacket, **_Austin Moon's club jacket. _**

"Fuck."

"Damn right, '**_fuck_**'!" Trish bellowed as she scrambled up and violently pointed at it like it was the devil himself. "**_Do you know who's this is?!_** How are you **_alive right now?!_** How did you—what are—I…" She began to pace frantically, causing me to become even more nervous than ever before.

I bit my lip viciously, only then fully realizing that Trish must have not known about Austin's part in my little adventure at all. I guess her source kept all of that out of it.

Because if she did, this freak out would have occurred much, much sooner.

Oh my god, she would have a conniption if she knew he kissed me. And better yet, she'd pass out stone cold dead if she knew how much I thoroughly enjoyed its sinfulness.

As Trish became delirious and frenzied over the sight of the jacket, I became a bumbling fool over my jumbled emotions, mixed on two different stances on the problem.

"I…I—" What was I suppose to say? He intrigued me? He terrified me? I can see some good in him?

She stopped in the middle in my room, her hands tangled deep in her curly dark hair.

"**_Holy fucking Jesus, Ally!_** That's Austin Moon's jacket! Why do **_you_** have it?!" She shrilled.

Never in my life did I ever think I'd see Trish act this way—so out of control. It made me feel like coming clean about everything that happened between me and Austin would cause her to go into cardiac arrest.

A small part of me felt so guilty. Because that same part was the one that couldn't stop thinking about him.

Trish began to mumble to herself as she paced my floor again, forgetting my presence or anything for that matter other than the jacket. There was only the jacket. I sat there, silent and doe-eyed, and astonishingly terrified.

"Trish, I—"

"Holy shit, this whole situation is worse than I thought. I mean I **_knew_** you ran into trouble with the heads of Covenant, but **_this_**…this is a **_whole other story_**!" He voice was making me shake in my seat. "Why didn't he**_ tell_** me Austin Moon was involved?! I would've—I just— I can't believe—**_ugh!_**"

Trish threw her arms in the air and turned to look at me, fire alight in her eyes. But when she finally took in my frozen position and vacant eyes, something in hers slightly softened. Slightly.

"You know what, I don't even wanna know. The less I do about **_this_** particularly, the better." She smoothed out her shirt in an attempt to otherwise occupy herself from losing control again.

"Just tell me this; does he know you have it?" Her voice sounded off, like she was trying to contain her distress for me.

"Y-yes. I mean, yeah he gave it to me. I-I was cold." I barely whispered.

Trish appraised me with a bewildered look, like what I was saying made no sense.

"You were cold." She repeated like she couldn't possibly understand. "How is this even possible? He's not some normal guy, he would **_never_** give—" She then shook her head, cutting herself off. "No, I'm not reading into this. Less is more." She sighed for the thousandth time this afternoon. "Forget this; you're obviously already in too deep. You're just going to have to give it back, Ally. **_ASAP._**"

"You don't think I want to?! I do, but I don't know how." I lamented. "One thing's for sure; there's absolutely no way in hell I'm going back to that clubhouse."

Selfishly, I didn't want to admit to myself that the jacket wasn't the only reason why I wanted to see him again. There were so many questions running through my mind, each one mulling reasons why he ran from me after we shared an intimate moment that **_he _**initiated.

But Trish didn't need to know that.

"Okay, okay. Just give me a second to still process this shit." She grabbed her face and moaned out in frustration.

Suddenly Trish gasped again and mumbled a muffled word into her hands that sounded like the answer to all our problems.

"_Juyeys_."

"Um, excuse me?" I inquired.

She removed her hands and looked me dead in the eye. "Joey's." She said, and then began to pour words out so fast that it took me a moment to absorb it all. "It's a pool hall down on Wicker Pier. I know Covenant members who go and supposedly Austin's an avid customer; likes to do business there or whatever. I can take you during early daylight hours when I find out a day when I know for a fact Austin isn't there and we can just leave it with Joey, the owner. He's a close bud with Austin apparently. This way, we can avoid direct contact and keep you as safe as possible." She went to finally sit back down on my bed, satisfied with her plan. "You survived him once somehow; I don't think many can count themselves as lucky as you."

_Joey's?_ Everything else Trish was saying after she mentioned this place was going in through one ear and out the other.

Joeys. I could find Austin there…

* * *

Trish left in a hurry right after her epiphany, saying something about how she needed to talk to her **_significant _**friend right away about all of this, saying how there was no way in hell anyone of this was possible. She was going to find out answers.

For me or for her, I wasn't sure.

Right up until she left my car as I dropped her off at her house, she kept repeating how this secret world that Deadwood County truly holds was somewhere the likes of me should never be involved in and that she was truly sorry I got mixed up in it, something about me being too innocent and too vulnerable. She even made me stuff Austin's jacket into the boot of my car, just so it was as far away from me as possible.

"Don't even think about going to the pier without me. I mean it Ally, if something happens …" She warned as we stood on her front porch.

"I'm fine, Trish. I can handle myself."

This new side of Trish—the protective side that came with her unveiling of this secret life she has—was starting to bother me a lot. Not to get me wrong, I like that she cares about me enough to do so but after everything I went through this weekend, after all the things I saw, I was still standing. Mind you, it was barely, but nonetheless, I was still stable. I wasn't this fragile little doll everyone thinks I am and the word innocent was really beginning to irritate me. In all honestly, Trish still didn't even know the**_ half_** of what occurred between me and Austin since the night of the party. Hell,she didn't even know it lasted longer than one night.

His aggressiveness, his playfulness, the way he refused the man in the cave's dare to kill me. Threats, teases, caress's…

The way he kissed me and then ran like his life depended on it.

I was stopped at a red light on the strip; the left hand turn leading back towards my house, the right towards the pier.

_"Joey's. It's a pool hall down on Wicker Pier. I know Covenant members who go and supposedly Austin's an avid customer; likes to do business there or whatever."_

Trish's voice echoed through my head, the mention of Joey's pool hall becoming a fixation in my brain. I knew if I did anything drastic and she found out, she would chew my ass out. In a way, I was glad to finally have some one else hold the burden of this situation with me and I was happy it was coincidentally Trish.

But there was some things I needed to handle on my own.

Like for one, I needed answers. And I wasn't truly going to get those with Trish around.

Not from who I wanted them from, at least.

I needed them regardless, not only because I was afraid.

_Because I was._

Not only because I was curious.

_Because I was._

But more importantly, because he saved my life and kissed the living daylights out of me, then left without so much as a goodbye.

And it was only then I realized I had turned right towards Wicker Pier.

* * *

**A/N: Meh. I don't know how I feel about this one. Kind of a filler. **

**But I love the next chapter!**

**Let me know what you think :) **


	11. Unexpected Guests

**A/N: Hey Everyone! **

**Here's the newest chapter. I tried as hard as I could to keep the updates as shortly spaced out as possible so I hope this wasn't too long of a wait. If so, I'm very sorry. I know some of you get anxious.**

**Follow me on twitter! I just made one for this pen name: Tavvy13**

**Chapter Song: "Hope for Now" by City and Colour  
**

**Happy reading!**

**-B**

* * *

When people say they can feel certain things foreboding before they happen and it's up to us whether or not to listen to them trying to warn us off something, I usually just say they're crazy and move on. But since the moment I moved to Bay Beach, a lot of things I would consider crazy or insane seemed to be the norm around here.

So when the gut wrenching warning of queasiness took over the inside of my stomach and caused my palms to become clammy, I was habitually quick to dispute it. But as I drove into the wide parking lot at Wicker Pier and eventually found my way in the thinning out crowd to stand in the shadows of the bright neon _Joey's Pool Hall _sign hanging inauspiciously above, I was beginning to think listening to my clear sign that something bad was about to happen wasn't such a bad idea after all.

But god was I so sick and tired of people thinking I couldn't handle myself.

Granted, maybe my complete lack of confidence in my actions and self belief made them think so, although sometimes I tried to show how I could assert myself if I truly wanted to. I wasn't totally spineless. Although majority of the time, I guess you could say I was someone who could be pushed around.

But tonight, it seems I had decided to screw that shit.

The whole drive here I repeated in my mind the same words over and over, trying to keep my head clear and my wits about me.

**_Get in, dump the jacket, and get out. Get in, dump the jacket, and get out. _**

I could do this.

I couldn't afford to become hysteric like before, not if I was stupidly planning on entering hell again and surviving.

**_But_**, I selfishly thought, **_if it means there is a small chance I can see him again and get some answers, I'm going to take it_**.

And my bravery to want that astounded even me.

This part of the boardwalk was so different from the rest, and no one surely needed much imagination to know why that was so. It was darker and of course a lot more vacant, people probably scared and warned away from this end for their own safety. I noticed the wood beneath my feet became older and creakier as I made my way further and further away from the popular and bright end of the pier, towards my current location. I skimmed around, taking in the unkempt state of it all; the guardrails to the dirty abandoned beach area below rusted and in some places, even broken. But what mostly held my attention was all the bikes lined up along it neatly, a make shift parking zone on a pier you were not allowed to drive on.

I gulped. I was definitely in the right place.

**_Get in, dump the jacket, and get out. _**

The nippy sea breeze whipped around me and down the small alcove I was trying to conceal myself in. I shivered involuntarily, not sure if my sudden drop in body temperature was because of the actual coolness of the night or if I was just slowly dying of nervousness and paranoia. But regardless, I was suddenly very cold and was lacking a jacket.

Well, a jacket **_of my own_**.

I looked down to my messenger bag hanging off my shoulder to see Austin's dark leather jacket—that I unstuffed from my trunk where Trish put it—slung neatly across the top and as reality-inducing as ever.

I choked up slightly as I realized what I was about to do. I must be a glutton for punishment or fear because by me consciously choosing to come here, I was fully putting myself in harm's way like I told myself I wouldn't ever do again. But as I gazed down at its rough exterior, I felt something click in my mind that I wasn't aware of before.

Like a light shot in the dark, a wave of realization crashed over me. I was here because of **_this _**and I knew I was only going to be outside for a moment more and the coldness would no longer be a problem but for some reason, something once again was telling me to rethink; telling me that for reasons unknown, something out there made sure I had this with me for this very moment.

I wasn't sure why or for what, but that it would somehow protect me if needed.

So this time, I decided to listen to that feeling.

In one fluid action, I grabbed Austin's club jacket as confidently as I could and instead, slung it across my left forearm, clutching it close like it was a life preserver and I was desperately drowning. The dominant smell of him strongly lingered on the soft worn out leather, the scent oddly soothing me as I lifted it to my nose and inhaled deeply.

I took this moment to attempt at keeping my cool before I made myself known. I told myself repeatedly that if he wasn't there or I couldn't find him, then I'd just dump it at the bar. Someone was bound to give it back to him.

I was here for the jacket and that was it.

Right?

**_Get in, dump the jacket, and get out. _**

From my solid spot in the darkness, the heavy smell of cigarettes and deep rumbling voices came from a few people standing outside the pool, the stairs leading down into the actual place dimly alight behind them. I could hear the rowdiness from inside all the way up here.

Oh boy.

I slowly took a step out of the darkness and when nothing happened like I sort of expected it to, I gradually made my way towards the rough looking men with baited breath, hoping trespassers weren't persecuted on sight .

My footsteps sounded like they were echoing in my head as I moved closer. It was then one of the burly men caught sight of me and his eyes slightly slatted as he took me in, like he was questioning what someone who looked like me was doing in a rundown part of town like this. I knew **_I_** was.

I approached slower and shrank in closer to myself, my heartbeat accelerating as he let out a cloud of toxins from his most recent drag and continued to watch me. He smirked as I braced myself for what I knew was to come.

I could do this.

**_Get in, dump the jacket, and get out. _**

"Hey boys, I think this one's a little lost, eh?"

Keeping his glassy gaze locked on me, he nudged the tall brick wall of a man beside him—a large contrast to his own stout pudginess—who was otherwise engaged in another discussion before my presence was being acknowledged. But as soon as it was, he and the other man beside him both faced me and just like their friend, grinned knowingly once they got a good look at me and my obvious displacement here.

I only just realized I had halted frozen dead in my tracks when I understood my sudden predicament, standing stiff on the cracked pavement a few feet away from them. I could only imagine what my face looked like, so I tried to compose myself, an attempt to hide all signs of fright and naivety from my expression. I soon noticed all three of them were all adorned with covenant club jackets.

Inwardly, I absolutely cursed myself thinking I could handle coming here on my own.

"Yeah, must be." The tall one finally responded, taking on a taunting tone as he stubbed out his cigarette and gave me his full attention. I instinctually clutched the jacket to my chest tighter as the wheels in my head turned, thinking of a way to avoid this and get inside as quick as I could. "Hey, baby. Looking for someone?"

"Whoever it is, I bet I can show you a better time, sweetheart." The one on the end said raptly, causing his two friends to chuckle darkly and drift closer to me. I swallowed deeply, the bile rising from my stomach at their comments being suppressed. I shuffled my feet on the ground and bit my tongue until I finally felt in control of my insecurity. I tried to keep all distressful thoughts of them from my mind but it was getting hard as they came closer and closer to me.

"L-look," I croaked rather timidly, all while trying to sneakily slip towards the entrance of the bar. I cleared my throat, trying again louder. "**_Look_**, I don't want any trouble. I just need to get in and get out. Now, if you could just—"

"Hey, slow your roll sweetie, we're just getting acquainted." The chubby one cooed sickly, stepping straight in my path and stopping me. "What d'you got there, huh?"

His petulant stench invaded my nasal sense and I almost gagged at how close he was to me. But I didn't do anything other than swiftly step away from his reach as he tried to snatch myself and the jacket towards him. His eyes brightly flashed with sick enjoyment, like this was a game; like he was a cat and I was his vulnerable little mouse. "**_Defiance_**, boys," he joked with the men standing a few paces behind him. He then zeroed back in on me as I tried to look as little phased as I could when really, I just wanted him far away from me so I could breathe again.

Instead, he leaned in more and whispered, "We all know how much I **_love it_** in a woman."

My eyes widened as his word painted the intentions in my mind and I began to let my panic show at last. "Wait. **_No_**, please—"

But my words were too late; his actions cut the plea from my throat as he reached for my arm forcefully and tugged me to his chest, a rumbling laughter vibrating within it. I didn't know what to do other than loudly cry out in protest.

"**_Get your hands off me_**!"

It was like I hadn't even said a word. "Mmm, I like them spirited, too. But then again, aren't you all at your age?"

His attempt to be alluring towards younger girls sickened me to my core as he infiltrated my space fully; grabbing both my wrists to better control my resistance. His fingers welded like cuffs around me and I let the jacket fall carelessly to the floor in my struggle against them.

I can't believe I was so naïve to think that **_stupid thing_** would protect me.

"Show her who runs shit!" One of his buddies pathetically cheered on, watching me be assaulted like it was some sport.

Relentlessly, he continued to nuzzle at the side of my face and my cries of disgust only seemed to fuel him, my body trying to wriggle wildly out of his grasp as best I could. But he merely just laughed at my feeble efforts. "I think I might keep this one, boys! The fight's good in her." He called out to his two sidekicks, who until then I hadn't realized had stopped goading him on and instead grown immensely quiet.

Eerily quiet.

My captor seemed to not have noticed, their silence not as entertaining as my 'defiance'. He began to grope me aggressively, his slimy hands shaping down my body and I growled louder, my anger now pitted. He spun us around, facing the direction of his friends, my emphatic protests and colourful curses towards him never ceasing.

That is, until I saw our audience of two.

They were utterly still and white as sheets as they stared off into the darkened entrance to the Pool Hall, eyes weirdly wide with what looked like fear? Yes, fear. Of someone, from what I could just barely see was watching the scene from the darkness; their massive figure silhouetted in the shadows.

The sick man restraining my frail frame loosened around me a bit but not enough to set me free. "What the fuck is wrong with—"

"You have three seconds to get your **_filthy_** fucking hands off her, or I'll kill you where you stand." A sinister voice boomed from in the darkness. "I suggest you choose wisely."

A deadly, husky voice snarled from the shadows, chilling me to the absolute core. My head snapped up while my breath caught, the loud pants of exertion disappearing in anticipation.

Not because of how terrifyingly threatening it sounded but because I knew **_exactly _**who it was even before he spoke, my heart doing a little stutter in my chest that he **_was_** actually here. I guess my new friend knew too because he instantly released me like I had scalded his skin—pushing me to the ground, his hands up in surrender like the true coward he was—faster than I could have let out my next curse towards him.

I cried out as I made hard contact with the cold ground.

Everything after that happened in a blur.

The chubby man began to stammer like an idiot, his voice taking on a submissive tone. "I-I...I meant no disrespect, I swear...I—"

"Shut the **_fuck_** up and don't speak unless spoken to." Austin growled deeply as he finally stepped into the lamp light of the bar's bright sign and approached me and the man, the sight of him and his anger like a shock to my system.

Seeing him again was something I thought I was prepared to do stoically but when it finally came, all I could seem to do was look at him and remember the way his mouth felt on mine. I could feel myself blushing furiously at the memory and my weak control. I willed for the energy to lift my head up a little higher to see his expression but my adrenaline was now slowing and I could start to feel the toll of the aches and bruises inflicted to my body, wincing when I moved my arms especially even in the slightest.

Meanwhile, his figure towered high, the set of his jaw and rigid shape of his shoulders were just as tight with frustration as I last saw them. His messy blonde hair glowed in the illumination, casting dark shades across his eyes that set the pissed off twist to his mouth on the perfect backdrop of intimidation. He had his hands balled tight as his sides—knuckles strained and white—like he was ready to pummel this piece of crap into oblivion, his muscles bunching tautly under his white T.

Austin's clouded gaze finally caught mine from my crumpled position on the floor, not long before I felt it fleet over my body like it was almost checking for something. He then abruptly snapped his head in the direction of the two men off to the side who jumped at the unexpected eye contact.

"Leave now, while I still am willing to let you." Austin hissed through clenched teeth. They didn't seem to have heard him, since they just stood there frozen like statues.

"I said **_NOW_**." Austin boomed, his voice raising an octave and his eyes flashing. He was pure authority, issuing an order. Only a fool would dare to challenge that.

What the hell has he done that has made grown men this afraid around him?

At the sound, they scuttled away inside the second his request reached their ears this time, all traces of the tough guys they were swaggering around like before totally vanished. And not once did they look back at their helpless buddy they clearly just left for the wolves to eat.

Or I guess, **_wolf_**.

I tried to lift myself to my feet but I couldn't seem to find the ability to, my body feeling as pliable as silly putty. Being it from his presence or my resistance, I wasn't sure.

The man who tried to subjugate me started talking all at once, approaching Austin with his hands still raised in front of him. "Listen Aust, come on. I was just fooling around; I wasn't going to really hurt her or anything, she's just some random no one—"

"Did I say you could fucking speak?" Austin's hands flew out to grapple onto the man's jacket briskly and pull him in close to snarl in his face. He flinched back. The man had to at least be 10 years Austin's senior but was acting like he was a child being reprimanded by their parent. It made me quiver as I began to understand Austin's position in power. "No, I don't think I did so why do I hear your pathetic excuses?"

I attempted to rise from the ground again, this time succeeding. Neither of them taking notice while I lugged my body up and continued to watch on, feeling like my lungs were about to collapse at any minute. "Now," Austin spat venomously. "Did the girl give you permission to put your hands on her?"

"N-no."

"Then you keep them to **_yourself_**, end of story." He bellowed in his face, causing the man to cringe back from its intensity.

He nodded vehemently.

"Good. Now you're going to apologize to this girl for laying your unwanted hands all over her and then you're going to get the **_hell_** out of my sight before I fucking lose it and just decide to cut them off myself. Am I **_understood_**?"

My eyes widened as I heard Austin talk so forcefully and violently over something that had my own dignity in mind. As I stood off to the side on shaky legs, I saw that all the man could manage as he looked—wide eyed and aghast—from me and back to a scary looking Austin was a nod.

"Then what are you waiting for?" Austin said dubiously, shoving him roughly out of his grasp, emphasizing his seriousness.

The man who had so rudely taken control of me not even 10 minutes prior turned to look at me again in a whole other way that stunned me. Rather sheepishly, he tried not to meet my eyes for more than three seconds as he quickly muttered out an apology.

"I—I'm sorry, miss."

"It's fine." I barely whispered, not really caring for his apologies.

"Good," Austin spoke. "That's very good. Now get the fuck out of here if you value your digits."

And in an instant, I stood there on the ratty boardwalk with just Austin.

A breeze hit me again as the night became darker, the sounds of the distant water rolling in nearer. For what felt like an eternity, we were silent; the only thing heard was both of our shallow breathes being drawn while I collected my mind and tried to pace my heart regularly again. He stood there like a solid post, his body unyielding once again like his was trying to hold himself together from going everyone and anywhere all at once. When I finally saw him break his composure and move after a few moments, it was only to brush past me like I wasn't even there.

It took me only half a second to react and spin around to face him, not about to let him leave without a word again. But as I did, I saw that he had only stopped a few short steps away from me, staring down at something at his feet. As he bent down to retrieve it, I realized then that it was his jacket I had dropped in my struggle.

"I—I brought it back for you." I mumbled nervously, not being able to take his silence anymore.

Why did I come here again?

Once he lifted it from the ground, he straightened up to his full height again, his back still fully facing me. He didn't turn around as he brushed off the dirt from it, his head bent to analyze every inch of it.

God, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I was debating on whether or not I should say something when I heard a very audible and annoyed sigh, one that people release to let everyone know you're very tired of something.

"What are you doing here, Ally?" He accusingly asked in a defeated tone, still not turning to face me but instead fiddling with something on his jacket. I watched his back muscles contract and his tensed up again.

I was confused as I furrowed my brow, my face flushing at my underlying motives. "What? I just told you, I—"

All of sudden, he rounded on me and got in my face, the storm brewing in his dark eyes framed by his long lashes created these large deep orbs that held me in a trance. I stepped back involuntarily, not to be won by his close proximity I became weak to, but he didn't hesitate to fill that gap right back up just as quick. He clutched his jacket in one hand and squeezed it like it was a stress ball while he stared me down like I was guilty of something.

"**_No Ally_**," he rasped harshly. "I mean what are you **_really_** doing here. How did you even find this place, let alone know I'd be here? What the hell do you want from me, huh?" His voice was rising again quickly as he began to shake his jacket in front of my face. "Because even **_you _**aren't stupid enough to come seeking me out in a gang member infested part of town just to give me back my fucking **_jacket. _**I mean look what happened, that guy would have**_ claimed _**you , Ally**_-_**"

He cut himself short to swallow down his anger as it was quickly rising, as could be told from his voice. He was right, and for some reason it was easy to admit to myself now. Maybe it was because even he knew it, and it made me see how desperate I must have looked to him. But either way this probably wasn't the best way to go about it and I see that now. I had no clue what I was getting myself into and was feeling the sting of humiliation at a rapid rate.

I suddenly couldn't look at him anymore, knowing how pathetic he probably thinks I am. So I looked at my feet and rub my left arm absentmindedly, trying to look occupied.

"I just wanted some answers, that's all. You left so suddenly the last time we saw each other and…" I realized I meekly admitted, trailing off not knowing how to finish my sentence properly since I was blushing profusely. "You're right, it was wrong to come here. I guess I just don't really realize the reality of all this club stuff…"

I could feel Austin watching me for a good two minutes, his eyes having the same affect on me as I was quickly learning they always did. But I still didn't look to them as the burn on my skin from the intensity of trying to figure out what was going on in my brain.

But I finally glanced at him when I heard his breathy laugh fill my ears, an all knowing smile gracing his face. His hands were tucked in his pockets as his face looked heaven wards and he just laughed to himself, but it was the kind of laugh you let out when you know you're fucked and there isn't much you can do about it but laugh. It was a defeated laugh.

"Shit." He breathed, as he looked at me again and my throat ran dry when he reached out to tuck a piece of lose hair behind my ear. It was that look he gave me right before he told me his killer whale story. I bit my lip hard as he suddenly leaned in the rest of the way between us and placed his forehead against mind in an intimate gesture, closing his eyes. I froze when his warm breath washed over my face and he moved his right hand to rest on my hip. "Ally, I—"

But before he could get his words out, an enormous crash sounded from down in the Pool Hall, voices soon rising quickly to reach us. We jumped apart at the sudden interruption, Austin stepping away from me to walk closer to the entrance, full business mode intact, whatever he was about to say forgotten for the moment. The look on his face was all suspicion and uncertainty.

"What the hell—"

"Austin! **_Austin!_**" Someone screeched loudly from the bottom of the steps, very hurriedly making their way up them towards us in haste. But it sounded like so many people were coming.

I stayed where I was as Austin moved fluidly away to where his name was being called. A young man appeared, other footsteps behind him increasing in noise; his facial expression frantic as he tried to catch his breath. He looked younger than Austin, and he wore a club jacket as well, except his has a patch that read 'prospect' on it.

"What, Tyler? What's wrong? What's happening down there?" Austin huffed out, impatient already.

"It's Fury, Aust! They started a brawl! Busted in from the kitchen entrance, a whole fleet of them, and caught everyone off guard. Come quick, man!"

Austin held a pregnant pause for a whole minute before he responded with a loud, single, resonating, "**_Fuck._**"

And then it was like all hell broke loose.

Before I could even grasp what was happening, hordes of men though mostly woman, started pouring out from the entrance to Joey's; some looking concerned, some frightened, and some even hysterical. I lost sight of Austin instantly, myself being consumed by the flocks of bodies heading to their rides or down the boardwalk to safety. It was like a plane had just landed and this was the pickup gate of all the passengers swarming.

I heard my name being called from somewhere.

As I tried to crane my neck to look over the crowd to see who it was, it was then that I heard a loud gunshot, causing myself to duck to the ground on instinct while everyone around me screamed and did the same. The sound triggered my panic full throttle as I began to feel my body tremble again.

How did things escalate to this?

"**_Ally!_**"

I heard it again, only this time much closer.

I felt hands on my waist before I looked up from the ground to see a relieved and also angered Austin above me. He hauled me from the ground, wrapping an arm over my shoulder and tucked my body close under it as he guided me over to a small corner by an abandoned surf shack, all in one motion.

He pressed me to the wall, blocking me from seeing the entrance to the Pool Hall anymore but also from people hurrying past us.

He looked flushed but otherwise in control of his exertion and he varied me with him eyes.

"How did you get here?"

"I drove." I stated breathlessly.

"Good. I want you to get to your car as fast as you can and drive straight home. Go to your room, lock your doors and just stay there. **_Don't leave_**, do you hear me?" He stared me in the eye deeply, captivating me for a moment. Something in his eyes softened the longer he realized I held his gaze and it warmed a part of me deeply. But then they completely hardened again like something in his mind snapped back into place and shut down that part of him that feels. He growled again, grasping a fistful of his hair and tugging it. "God dammit. I never want you to come here again, do you hear me? You shouldn't **_ever _**be anywhere near here. And for your own good, **_stay away from me_**."

"Wait, but—" I tried.

"**_Do as I say._** Go!" He growled at me, grabbing my hands and pushing me in the direction of the pier.

His words—'**_stay away from me_**_'_—stung me right to the core as he rasped them aggressively like a muttered oath and ran right back through the crowd towards the entrance. They echoed in my head over and over as I walk-ran to my car, constantly looking behind my shoulder for some reason.

Being almost midnight, the parking lot was pretty empty (seeing as it is a school night) and made it very easy to locate my car in a flash and hop in to drive to the safety of my house where I could breathe again. I was way in over my head, and didn't know if this town was going to be bearable much longer if this was a common occurrence.

But as I pulled into my driveway, my body positively racking with tremors of adrenaline coursing through me still even though I was safe at home, that part of me warning me that something bad was about to happen **_still_** didn't cease.

* * *

Well past midnight, I could still vaguely hear the sirens in the distance as the last of them made their way to what was probably a war zone. From what I could gather, these two gangs were riddled with bad blood that killing another life to justify that lust for satisfaction was an easy task.

I sat on my bed in the dark; my father down the hallway fast asleep, my hair damp from my recent shower to calm my nerves, and my heart still hammering like I just ran a triathlon.

This was all happening so fast.

I stare at the wall in front of me, my head going a hundred miles a minute, running away with scenarios that don't seem so farfetched to me any-more.

I should have just listened to Trish.

No, but instead, I had to show I'm not that innocent little girl she thinks she needs to so delicately protect from everything.

I jump from my bed with a small yelp when I hear a rapid knocking on my porch doors suck me from my thoughts and spook the living hell out of me.

Hesitantly, I rise. Fixing my pj shorts and adjusting my cami, I walk over to the doors silently cursing my dad for buying a bungalow for the first time. It was so accessible for people to hurt me.

But I gasp instantly once I pull back the curtains a tiny bit to suprisingly see its none other than Austin.

And he's hurt. Bad.

My heart fully halts in my chest and the blood freezes cold in my veins as I see him clutching the right side of his abdomen through the glass doors, his white shirt almost completely red from a wound, the flimsy material ripped in places.

I fling the door open instantly, a look of shock and concern written all over my face.

"Oh my god, _**w**_**_hat happened to you?! _**What are you doing here, you need to be at a hospital!" Was he insane?!

"_**No,** _no hospitals. Too much paperwork." He said through deep breaths, trying his best to keep his voice levelled but was failing miserable. He winced as he took too deep of an intake, his eyes squeezing shut at how it must have hurt him. I reached out for him when I saw he was losing his balance. I grasped his arm tightly, his hand riddled with his or someone else's blood coming down on my own for extra support.

"I...I had to make sure you were alright..." He whispered faintly as he looked sincerely at me from underneath his lashes. Something inside my chest tugged.

_**Make sure I wa**_**s_ alright..._**

"If **_I'm _**alright?!" I accused, baffled. "Look at **_you_**, Austin! You're bleeding; your **_hurt_**!"

"Its just a scratch." He grins, blood splayed all in his his smirking teeth, but it was a weak one. It seemed his playful side only came out when it was just the two of us, but I couldn't take it seriously with the small bruises blooming on his face already. Sweat drips from his forehead as his body overheats, his hair like a wet and dishelved nest on top of his head.

He suddenly grunts in pain, trying to cover it up at an attempt to stand on his own again. But his face twists in pain. "Shit, this fucking hurts."

He suddenly looks up at me seriously now, when the wave of hurt recedes. His hand squeezes my arm.

"Ally, I know your dad is a doctor. You gotta...you gotta have to know some tricks, right?" He intakes sharply and curses avidly once again, a part of me dying to see him like this. "I—I need you..I..need..you…to fix...me."

I don't know if him knowing my dad's profession (and probably more where that came from) surprised me or the fact that he was asking for my help.

Then like a dead weight, he sways on his feet as his eyes roll back and he slumps forward in my arms from his high amount of blood loss, giving me no choice but to drag him into my room and close the door behind him.

Looks like my feeling was right again.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Uh Oh.**

**What do you think happened in the Pool Hall? **

**The next chapter is my absolute favourite! It's half written already and should be up soon! **

**Tell me what you thought about this chapter!**


	12. Nurse An Outburst

**Chapter 12:** _"Nurse An Outburst" _

**A/N: New Chapter, yay! **

**And just to answer one of your questions from a review before: Yes, my parents are also Deadwood Covenant readers as they are with most of the things I tend to write. I was a bit iffy to show them this one, but they liked it once I grew a pair and let them see.**

** Dad likes to read all your reviews while mom pushes me for the next chapter. **

**She too, hates the Di Santis' and thinks Austin and Ally need to hook up ASAP. **

**Anyway, yes. They're very supportive when it comes to that. **

**So I know you're reading this, mom! You can stop badgering me now…**

**Happy Reading, everyone!**

**-B**

**Chapter Song: "DNA" by Little Mix **

* * *

**Marco Di Santis hated to be kept waiting.**

**It wasn't that he didn't have patience; which was for the most part true but not a main factor to why he didn't like giving time for other people. No, Marco truly hated it because it casted an illusion that he needed to rely on others. And having to rely on others meant you needed help, and needing help meant you were weak.**

**And Marco was many things, but he ****_refused_**** for weak to be one of them.**

**And besides, if he wanted things to be done right tonight, he was going to have to bite his tongue for a little while longer until he got the signal.**

**Although, he still couldn't help but growl with impatience. "How long does it take to find a god damn breaker box?"**

**Marco's best men stood closely crouched near him, waiting and listening sharply in the darkness for the signal to move. He had gathered a large amount of bodies for this particular job, all of them closely pressed in deep within the shroud of shadows to keep from unwanted watching eyes.**

**All of them amped and ready.**

**And if everything went according to plan, this would be one of the most crucial jobs any of them went on.**

**Brent—Marco's right hand man and closest thing to a best friend—stood against the alley wall beside him, waiting for his phone to vibrate with a message giving the go-to.**

**Nothing had happened yet.**

**"It should be anytime now…" He ran a hand through his shaggy hair, sounding like he wanted to add 'be patient' at the end there. But from the menacing warning glare Marco shot him as he was about to continue shut him up instantly.**

**Now was not the time to try Marco's control.**

**Not when he was so sure this time—****_this time_****—his plan was going to work for sure.**

**A humming sound came from beside Marco, perking his hearing. He looked over at Brent again whose face was awash in the pale illumination from his cell phone receiving a message.**

**_The signal. _**

**Brent locked eyes with Marco instantly, a sardonic smile curving his lips.**

**"It's time." Brent said.**

**"Remember, men." Marco addressed before they made their move. "No shooting. Just punch a few skulls than that, I don't really care what you do. Just leave Austin to me…"**

* * *

"**_Shit!_**"

Austin let out another agonized snarl followed by a pained hiss as Ally not so gracefully nudged his swaying body into another bedroom fixture by accident. She sympathetically mumbled another apology as she slowly stumbled, continuing to attempt and guide him through her darkened bedroom straight to the bathroom connected.

To be fair, it wasn't Ally's fault. Austin was a **_massive _**boy and wasn't really helping by barely holding any of his own bodyweight up, relying heavily on her small fragile frame for support. It was a plan on his part that was failing fast.

Everything was escalating quickly again and Ally was still struck numb by the burned sight of him bleeding vulnerably on her porch. But she was soon thrown into instinctual action; the first thing coming to her as she hefted and half dragged his slouched body inside was that she didn't want blood all over her carpeted floor.

So while she tried to not completely freak out for his sake and figure out what the hell she was going to do with a gruesome stab wound victim bleeding out on her floor, she needed him placed somewhere she could easily clean up after him without much evidence for her father to find.

Who was still sound asleep in his room down the hall. She prayed he didn't rouse and come check on her.

For a flash of a second, she contemplated going to get him. He would easily know what to do with Austin and be able to help him guaranteed any better than she could. But seeing a strange boy here in her bedroom at such a godly hour, not to mention one badly wounded, would cause too many questions that she didn't even want to begin to learn the answers to.

Thank god her door had a lock.

She sighed, defeated. She was going to have to take her chances and hope Austin didn't die on her.

Her stomach twisted violently at the thought.

"We have to go this way. We're almost there, hold on." Ally reassured.

"**_Alright_**. Just be fucking careful." He growled at her in the darkness, probably mustering up all his intimidation left for that one.

Devising a plan quickly like the good little doctor's daughter she was, she directed Austin through the bathroom doorway to wear she had a standard medical kit she could use to stitch him up, but her strength was failing rapidly as her arms shook with the dead weight working against them. So as soon as she could, she gently but purposefully shoved him onto the closed toilet seat. He grunted deeply when he made contact, coupled with a painful and irritated groan as his hand still tried to staunch his wound on the side of his abdomen.

Austin's eyes were squeezed shut in ache, no doubt the injury inflaming even more from the abrupt movement. He looked a little pale and his breathing was a bit more shallow than usual but other than that, he looked like he was still holding up for the most part. Ally didn't know if it was a ploy or not but she didn't want to entertain the idea of how many times something like this has happened to him for him to gain such a composure.

"Oh god." Ally breathed, trying to desperately click into rescue mode, only realizing then that her hands were slightly shaking. She watched as Austin struggled to stay upright and was about to tell him she didn't know if she could do what he was asking. But she stopped as soon as she heard the most silent of all whimpers escape from the terrifying Austin Moon's lips.

The man that was all dark tones and scary threats was **_whimpering_** silently like an injured puppy before her**_._**

That did it.

She instantly threw all her doubt out the window and tied her hair back, not wasting any time going for the collar on his jacket. "Alright, I'm going to have to remove your clothes to see the wound."

To Ally's shock, Austin actually cracked a dull cocky smile as his eyelids tried to open slightly, his head lolling in her direction. But it was a weak expression, all his energy obviously waning fast.

"I knew you liked what you saw last time…Just couldn't get enough, eh?" He weakly chuckled but winced harshly at the sharp sting it caused in his diaphragm.

"Shut up, you're hurting yourself." She chided him, stripping off his leather jacket as efficiently as she could without causing him more pain. She flung the dark heap into a corner once she got it off and hesitantly grabbed the hem of his t shirt, tugging at it in hesitation. She needed it out of the way too if she was going to have to clean his wound properly.

"Can you lift your arms up?" She whispered timidly; never being in this position before. Under any circumstances has she ever had to take a boy's clothes off before and she looked at him bashfully as she waited his answer.

He barely caught Ally's eyes from under her thick lashes as she asked permission with a smear of rose to her cheeks. After a silent moment of watching her become embarrassed over something as simple as removing his shirt, he nodded and lifted his heavy arms above him, almost mesmerized by her in his hazy state of consciousness. Austin was staying oddly quiet for once as he sat up more on the toilet seat and she slowly lifted his dirty t shirt over his head. He admired how she was trying to avoid any soreness she might trigger while pulling it higher off his body ever so slowly but he still winced despite her thoughtful efforts.

He decided to watch her to distract from the throbbing.

Like it was in utter slow motion, Austin watched her intensely as she acted extremely gentle with him, her unhurried and sweet movements somehow spiking something within him deeply and dissolving all his pain momentarily.

Austin couldn't help his mind from wondering what it would be like to have her do this under different circumstances.

To have her willing before him, running her soft hands run over his skin in a similar gentle and caring fashion…to hold him close to her and her warmth like he was the only thing she would ever want or need…

And as if his fantasies were becoming reality, she suddenly sank to her bare knees before him, tossing his shirt aside, and coming face to face with his stab wound and his quickly stiffening lower body.

When he finally got over his shock and understood what she was doing, he couldn't help but smirk. "Not exactly…how I'd pictured getting you on your knees for the first time…" He commented suggestively as he spread his legs a little wider so Ally could get closer. She did instantly, hardening his body even more, but not for the reasons he was hinting at. Her concern for his consciousness right now didn't allow her to catch what he meant until she saw her position and registered his words. She quickly pretended to be extremely focused but her face turned rather ruddy before him as he saw her avidly trying to avoid looking at his bare chest that was inches away. He grinned even wider.

"Figures you'd make such a crude reference while you're on the verge of blood loss..." Ally mumbled defensively under her breath before she took in the wreckage of his injury. From what she could examine so far, it looked like the bleeding was slowing, only not to the point where the injury was beginning to clot just yet. She in took breathe sharply when she truly saw the torn bloodied flesh where his tawny tanned skin used to once be. The gash was fierce, right beside his star tattoo on his hip.

"Mmm, that doesn't sound good." He said in a feeble whisper. "How bad is it, Doc? Will I make it?" Austin's breathing was so laboured now as he tried to play it off. She didn't know how he could act so casual while he was also in pain.

"It's…it's not that bad actually." She said as confidently as she could as she scoped out the knife stab more intimately. She didn't know how her father could be around this all the time, the rusty smell of blood permeating the air was already vastly getting to her. She stuck it out though. "It looks like it wasn't a large knife. But even so, you're lucky no major arteries were hit." She said professionally, moving swiftly to the bottom cupboard of her sink and pulling out the medical kit. Clicking the latches open, she yanked out a large patch of gauze and pressed it to his stomach instantly.

He hissed out again, a string of cursing falling from his mouth as his eyes screwed shut once more.

"I know it hurts," Ally said. "But put pressure on this while I get the other supplies out. We have to disinfect it then close it up before you lose anymore blood."

Austin did as he was told for once and studied her while she pulled out a bottle of peroxide and dampened another swathe of gauze with it, all in one motion. The surgical smell stunk up the air and made Austin feel more light-headed than he already was becoming. But when she was done prepping the gauze, she looked at it momentarily before lifting her big sympathetic doe eyes up to him, biting her lip nervously about something.

"What? What's wrong?" He asked quietly, sensing her unease.

"It's…It's probably going to sting. **_A lot_**." She stated, crawling back towards him.

Her concern touched him a little. But Austin refused to show any of that tenderness to her. He shook his head at her, almost looking irritated. "Whatever, I'm a…big boy. I can handle it."

She nodded quickly and neared him. But just as she was about to press the white cloth on his and he readied himself by closing his eyes again and clenching his fist, he felt a smaller hand attempting to pry his fist open. He opened his eyes to see Ally's pale and fragile fingers clasp his hand in hers and give it a gentle press.

Always gentle.

"Here, squeeze my hand. It will give you a place to concentrate your mind on."

Baffled by her gesture, he barely felt the harsh sting of the disinfectant as she efficiently cleaned away the blood and germs from him. And before he knew it, she was all done and was removing her hand from his to clean the blood from it as well. She moved back to her medical kit strewn on the floor.

"I have to stitch you up now." Ally said in a small voice, not looking back at him as she now prepped a needle with the peroxide and measured out stitching. "And then you can have some good old painkillers to take the edge off." She smiled genuinely at him and it faintly warmed his black heart.

He was feeling sweaty and achy but he wasn't sure if it was from his injury anymore. He concentrated on the stitches. **_Stitches. _**Stitches were nothing compared to some of the stuff he's had inflicted on him. This was going to be a walk in the park. He welcomed it, especially if she was doing it.

Once she was ready and she approached him again, she poised the sharp needle at its first positioned. Ally finally looked Austin in the eye again and gulped when she saw the raw emotion in them. It was intense.

"This is obviously going to hurt, but I'll try to be as quick as I can."

"Take your time, Doc." He teased once more. "Don't want to split open again because you did a spotty job."

I guess she got back at him for his jab by **_literally_** jabbing him without warning.

He growled at her and at the sudden stinging pain. He cursed out loud deeply.

"Sorry." She mumbled, but he could still see her small triumphant smile and she pulled the stitch through, him feeling every inch of it lace through his skin uncomfortably. "Try to think about something else."

Austin hummed irritatingly, her confidence with him getting a little too high for his liking. But he tried to take her advice as he thought back to the brawl at Joey's—his blood already spiking and setting fire, taking place of the pain from the probing needle—and how Hell's Fury took things to whole new levels…

* * *

**Marco and his men busted through the kitchen entrance from their position in the back alley once they got the signal from their infiltrator that he found the breaker box.**

**The lights were all cut in the bar, confusing and disorienting its occupiers, giving Marco's men the time and covering they needed to fully have the place on lock down.**

**Not a single Deadwood Covenant member saw it coming or had enough time to react.**

**No one has ever dared to step foot on another club's fully renowned and claimed territory like this before in fear of their reputation and their life.**

**But drastic times call for drastic measures.**

**By the time all the lights came back on, many Covenant members was either fiercely fighting, restrained or just knocked out on the floor.**

**But it was too late.**

**The entire bar was thrown into a complete uproar the minutes fists started to fly. Glass was smashed as tables and beer drafts crashed to the solid wood floor. Bodies were being pummeled; the sound of flesh on flesh joined with the soundtrack of manly grunts and aggravated assault echoing through the air. Masses of people began to flood for the doors, scurrying away in a horde.**

**Marco watched on with pride as his men dominated the calculated brawl, the pandemonium created just as according to plan. He knew this was going to work. He quickly began to search the crowds for that one face he knew was here somewhere.**

**But after five minutes of tirelessly scanning, he didn't see the little shit anywhere at all.**

**And that pissed him off to no end.**

**So much that he roared with such animalistic quality stalked to go and search out for him so he could personally plant a bullet in his chest and be done with it.**

**But before he could get the chance to, Marco heard a gunshot echo all around and snapped his head over to see where and who it came from. In the not so far corner, he catches sight of one of his men standing over a dead Covenant member, looking murderous as he heaved his chest. Marco could vaguely see the bloody corpse's own piece strewn on the floor beside him.**

**"****_What the fuck did I say?!_****" Marco roared at his shooter, who might have ruined absolutely everything for him.**

**The room had grown deadly silent as everyone and everything stood still. The gunshot took the life of a rival member, sealing the deal.**

**War had just been declared.**

**Marco seethed absolute rage. Never had he been more angry or bloodthirsty in his entire life. He knew he had to flee now before he even got what he came for.**

**He ripped out a pocket knife from his jacket, ready to plunge in into the heart of his shooter who was now looking at Marco in wide-eyed shock, like he just registered what he did.**

**But just as he stepped toward him, a growl ripping deep form his chest, a familiar voice stopped him.**

**"What have you done?"**

**Marco turned to see Austin's dark gaze fixed on the dead body of one of his members on the floor. If looks could kill, the one Austin gave the killer in turn would have sent him to his knees stone cold next to his recent victim in an instant. His fists clenched tight, he closed his eyes for a second before Austin advanced on Marco faster than he could comprehend.**

**"****_You fucking piece of_****—" Austin bellowed, in a pure fit of fury.**

**But it all happened so fast that not even Austin anticipated the quick knife in Marco's hands until it sank into his side like butter.**

* * *

Austin snapped back to reality when the pain killers Ally had given him had started to kick in. The stitching was over in a flash, him silent through the entire thing as he relived Marco finally executed the last straw to his little games. Anger flashed anew in Austin, like white hot lave in his veins, as he truly understood what had just occurred. Not only had Marco come onto Covenant territory with a squadron to start trouble but finally killed a rival member while doing so.

Now everything was about to change.

He was rigid and tense when she finished bandaging up the wound tightly with the rest of her gauze and medical tape, handing him strong drugs and a glass of water to end off. To her, he probably looked like he really hated getting stitches and was in no mood to talk as he silently gulped them down and drank the glass clean in one gulp, looking like he could kill someone right now if a word was spoken to him.

She took it as a clear sign to give him a moment alone, and left the bathroom. But not before she handed him a large red towel to wrap around himself; Ally thinking his body was tremouring from cold not anger.

He complied and was still sat on Ally's toilet seat when she silently returned, peeking in the doorway at first to see if it was okay to come back. When he didn't move his eyes to acknowledge her but seemed to have the life back in him nonetheless, she quietly gathered her things from the floor and packed them back away where they belonged without disturbing him. Once she washed her hands thoroughly and dried them, she bent to gather the excess medical garbage and bloodied swathes to throw them away.

Austin didn't realize he had been watching her every move as soon as she re-entered the tiny bathroom until she bent down in front of him. He also hadn't realized until then that every thought about Marco or any of the bullshit that was his life vanished when he did so.

She was like a drug in herself, which took all the crap away.

He watched her tiny hips as she reached to the ground to pick up all the rest of the trash, her toned legs on full display in her non-existent pajama shorts as well as her cute backside. He sucked in sharply. He continued to gaze at her heatedly as she puckered her smooth mouth like she was thinking over something in her mind rather intensely, her dark hair released from its ponytail once more to sweep around her face. It hardened him all over again like he had never softened. She really didn't have a clue of how she affected him. He didn't either, this never happened to him before.

She truly was innocent.

As Ally walked by Austin to throw everything out in the bin beside the toilet and continue to finish cleaning up, it seems that Austin couldn't resist himself anymore as his large hands engulfed her tiny waist and pulled her onto his lap in a low moan, from his injury or not she didn't know. She yelped instantly at the sudden gesture but more in surprise, her eyes wide as she stumbled slightly and balanced herself by placing her hands on his hard defined chest.

She reddened like the colour of the towel he had just dropped from around his shoulders.

"Well, this is compromising." He cheesed at her. She gulped when she saw his eyes were almost a deep black. His warm hands cupped her thighs close to his body as she tried her best to struggle out of his grip without hurting him.

"Stop it, Austin. I just stitched you!" He was relentless and didn't loosen his grip on her at all. For someone who was just stabbed, he bounced back—his strength included—extremely fast. Maybe it was the painkillers…

"Ally, look at me." He whispered hoarsely, inching towards her face. She stopped fussing and pushing away from him the second she locked in on his dark eyes again, his bare chest touching her barely clothed one. She could feel the heat radiating off of him, entrapping her in his web like it always did. She was stuck and he knew it. "Does it look like I'm in pain?"

She slowly shook her head no, and bit her lip, not sure what he was doing. His right hand traced languidly down the skin of her leg, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine.

He was so confusing. One minute he acting like he hated her, the next like he wants to control her, and then like she's the last bottle of fresh air on a completed polluted planet.

Ally got up abruptly and moved to grasp the sink counter for support, ignoring the swarm of insane butterflies erupting in her stomach. She didn't know how to deal with this—she had never been in a proper romantic relationship before, and she wasn't even sure if this was one at all between the two of them. And on top of that, he was invoking so many intense feelings and emotions she didn't know she really wanted to have for him. He scared her completely. He was possessive, violent and dangerous. She was supposed to hate people like that; she was **_raised_** to hate that.

But she didn't hate him. Not at all.

She felt his demanding presence before she heard him. Austin stood behind her, his full half naked height intimidatingly high above her shortness; his body's width doubles the size of her own body. She felt his fingers lightly tug her hair away from her left shoulder to drape across the other, baring the skin for him.

She watched him in the mirror above the sink in front of her as he slowly lowered his head to the crook of her neck and inhaled deeply before placing a feather-light kiss on her bare shoulder.

She froze instantly.

He slowly continued to move his way up, leaving behind a trail of searing hot kisses along the curve of her vulnerable neck, his tongue faintly flicking out again and again. With one hand on her shoulder and the other grasping her hip, Ally couldn't breathe as she involuntarily arched her neck to the side to give him better access, her eyes fluttering shut at the absolute pleasure of the sensation. She felt him smile against her skin.

Ally had turned to absolute and complete mush. She would do anything he asked of her.

"I should go," he whispered huskily, his voice sounding so foreign. The way he state it sounded almost like he was asking her permission; like a small part of him didn't believe in a single syllable her was saying.

"Tell me to go, Ally," He spoke once more, more firmly this time, against her skin as he continue his slow, hot assault on the scorching flesh of her neck, planting the most recent one just below her ear.

Ally remained completely idle, frozen against the bathroom counter. He sort of sounded like he was trying to scare her by how deep his voice had become.

Like he was trying to get her to run from him once and for all.

A last chance.

"Tell me before I do something I really shouldn't…" he murmured into her neck, his mouth getting more adventurous and fearsome. "…Something I've wanted to do since the day I met you."

Ally might as well have been hypnotized.

"And wh-what's that?" She stuttered, inquiring quietly about something her head, heart, and body already knew. Her eyes still remained closed shut as he pressed his front into her back tightly, trapping her against the counter.

She gulped. But she trusted him.

Ally guessed her naïve curiosity seemed to give him the green flag or something, as her eyes snapped open at the sudden vacancy of him near her, only to see a flash of his cocky smirk in the mirror before he spun Ally and slid his hands roughly on her hips, squeezing then and slamming her hard into his bare chest completely. If he was in any pain whatsoever from his wound, he didn't show it all, not one bit. Ally gasped rather loudly at the abrupt change, but gulped when she saw his eyes again for the first time after her trance. If it was even possible, his eyes were even darker than before, hooded with obvious heat, glowing like an animal in the night-time.

A predator.

The smell of him mixed together in the small space of her bathroom was weirdly intoxicating. Ally's now panting breath suddenly caught in her throat as he pressed her fully into the hard countertop behind her, demolishing any space at all between them. She let out a small mewl to his hasty intimacy, of part of her fearing he could clearly hear the hammering of her heart or feel the anxious sheen of sweat on her too hot skin. His smirked curved into something more possessive as he continued to watch her steadfastly with those eyes, his roaming confident hands gently skimming the line of skin exposed from her ridden up cami.

Oh god, where was this going?

Ally's body was an absolute live wire, every brush of his fingertips sending her into a frenzy farther and farther away from reason. Before she caught on to reality once more, Austin had already lowered his head to her neck again, but this time to place a gentle kiss on the shell of her ear and whisper, husky and raw with an unidentified emotion:

"Before I make you mine."

Ally stopped breathing altogether as soon as his words left his mouth.

He whisper was barely audible, like a lethal whisper before an unsuspecting death.

Sins float around them as her closeness to Austin increases tenfold, all of them surfacing from his hot skin, each and every one of them swirling around her head and whispering dirty, dangerous, terrifying things...

All threatening away of what is to come while at the same time, luring her in more and more.

But a small voice kept echoing from underneath all the lust floating in her mind and bloodstream, screaming out to her and trying to get her attention.

"And why on earth would you ever want me to be **_'yours'_**?" Ally suddenly questioned and countered with wide eyes, pulling back to meet his hungry eyes once more with her unsure ones.

She felt his hands pause on her body all of a sudden, his relentless teasing halting altogether like someone pressed an eject button or something. For a moment it was utterly silent and cold, and Ally was beginning to think he might move away from her like he always did when it became too good to be true.

She thought she might have offended him and he was now going to leave, without a word. But at this point, she was so wound up. She was ashamed of how pliable she was in his hands in that moment; in any moment that he touched her.

But damn, nothing ever felt better.

Ally ventured to finally catch his floundering gaze again as he thought about something long and hard, his brow slightly creased as he stared at nothing. When she started to think about apologizing maybe, chewing fiercely on her lip in nervousness, what happened next stopped all chances of words leaving her mouth or even coherent thoughts in her head.

Like a flash of lightening and a sudden unleashing, deep-throated growl ripping through the silence, he roughly grasped the bare skin beneath her pj shorts and hefted her fully off her feet and on top of the sink counter. All air rushed from her lungs in a gust as she froze solid in place form his actions.

Austin grasped her chin in his hand, making sure her eyes were locked directly in on his, their faces millimetres apart.

"I don't know," he said very slowly as he kept his eyes on hers, all the while prying apart her legs so that he could step fully in between them and wraps them around him, their proximity the closest it had been ever. They were practically sharing the same breath.

"All I know is I don't want you to be anyone else's."

And in an instant, his mouth claimed hers heatedly and with strong purpose, filled with every possessive emotion within himself.

At first Ally was in shock, and stayed stiff as a board; not being able to believe everything that was happening all at once. But as he crammed and squished her into his body with so much force, his hands gliding up and down her sides in haste like he couldn't touch all of her fast enough, she gave in to her most controlling part of herself and grasped fistfuls of his blonde hair immediately so she could press his mouth even more deeply onto hers, hitting him back full force with everything she felt for him too.

Her moaned deeply into her mouth when he felt her respond to him, her body curving into his like they were two puzzle pieces clicking into place. It was like nothing ever felt more rewarding and hot to him at the same time, her sudden fierceness for him exciting and enticing him even further.

He didn't feel any pain. He didn't think about work.

All he could hear, feel, smell touch, **_taste _**was her.

Never had such a person, let alone a girl, had control over him so easily and quickly.

But was it worth it.

Letting go for air, Ally broke with a desperate attempt to inhale as he only moved to her neck once more. Only this time he didn't hesitate to suck harshly on the sweet spot below her jaw bone, nibbling and flicking his tongue roughly as he started to form a mark. Ally gasped but it was all breathy and foreign to her ears, practically a moan. He grasped his neck tightly, running one hand down his bare chest and outlining the ridges of his muscling. He shivered from the outright amazing feel of it.

She squeezed her eyes tight at the pleasurable pain he was inflicting on her, never feeling something like this ever before. He heart was beating like an absolute drum, fluttering on the verge of failing as he sucked and sucked, the callous feel of his teeth scrapping soon soothed by his warm lapping tongue.

It wasn't until Ally thought she'd go blind from the pleasure he made her feel, that he released her with one last languid swipe of his tongue across what she was sure was a brutal mark.

He pulled back, breathing heavily, as he stared down at her neck he just viciously devoured, like it was a beautiful work of art.

He smirked his all-famous smirk, his perfect teeth gleaming in the dim bathroom light.

"Now you're **_really_** mine."

Ally wasn't sure if that scared her or excited her.

Or both.

* * *

**_Austin's POV_**

I hadn't realized how absolutely exhausted I was until I walked out of Ally's bathroom—her tiny body straddled to my hips, mouth still locked tightly on mine—and I crashed onto her bed. She released me to my dismay, but when I growled and tried to capture her mouth greedily again, she shoved me away gently.

"Sleep. You need to rest." She whispered as she sat up from the bed and stood before me quickly. I could sense something was up her, but my vision was beginning to blur.

But I didn't have time to question it before the adrenaline pumping through me from her presence crashed almost instantaneously, my body shutting down the second I hit a pillow.

I was out like a light.

It wasn't until two hours later when the sun was about to come up that my cellphone vibrating constantly roused from my deep sleep. I groggily wiped at my eyes to find it, only to register once again that I was in her room, with her shadowed figure lying down beside me, peacefully asleep.

I look at her for a second longer until I found my phone and stood up from her bed, feeling oddly out of place in it.

It was Dez calling me.

"Dez." I whispered.

"Austin, shit. Finally! I've been calling all night. Everyone's in an uproar about what happened at Joey's. Are you alright? Where are you?"

"I'm fine, Marco just stabbed me. So I went to get patched up." The drugs and the grogginess were really getting to me now, my sentences barely even full.

"**_What?!_** And patched by who?" Dez asked astonished. Usually when club injuries occur, we visit the doctor on site at the clubhouse…

I gazed down at Ally's sleeping body curled up on the bed.

"I know a guy…" I answered generally.

Dez wasn't one to pry, especially not in **_my _**business. "Whatever…We have more important things to discuss. Aust, listen to me. The meeting—the one with the Fair Sinners you were supposed to have tonight to pick up shipment? It got closed. As in **_without you._**" Dez emphasized.

I bristled at the information, confused. "What do you mean, **_closed_**? How is that even possible if they never showed up? The bar got shut down tonight because of Fury starting a fucking brawl, for Christ's sake. I was there the entire time!"

Unless…Unless someone else did it for me…

Dez's voice grew louder. "The whole fucking brawl at Joey's tonight was a set up, bro! Those filthy bastards kept the bar on lockdown to keep you occupied so when the Fair Sinners showed up as scheduled, guess who was there to whisper in their ear and offer a better deal for **_our _**shipment?"

I didn't even have to guess. I was livid. "**_Hell's Fury._**" I spat.

"Yeah, and I can imagine not much convincing was needed too." He huffed. "I mean the bloody bar in chaos spoke **_volumes_** about our organization and business reliability to our partners…"

Dez sensed something in my silence as I seethed hate and scorn.

"You knew all the interference lately was going to add up to this, didn't you? This declaration of war. You knew that, right?"

I growl. "**_Yes_**, but a small part of me thought not even they were brave enough to do something like this."

"**_That's it,"_** I whisper yelled into the phone as I tried to gather all my things before Ally woke up. Once I was organized, I looked down at her again as she made a soft noise in her sleep. Without looking back because this was already getting fucking hard as much I didn't want to admit it. I made my way towards her porch doors and slip out silently, throwing on my blood crusted shirt and jacket.

I can't involve her in this.

"If it's war they want, then a war it what they're going to get."

* * *

**A/N: Yupp…**


End file.
